Page 17

When I finally returned to the safe-house cabin, it was late. My headlights shone on the tiny porch in the darkness, and my eyes scanned for trouble. So far, Lexi’s car and Chigger’s Harley was just where they’d left them. I killed the engine and stepped inside, finding the place mostly silent.

The bedroom I was supposed to share with Chigger’s door was shut and locked. I didn’t have to press my ear to the door to hear what was going on inside. Typical. Those two had become practically inseparable, which annoyed me a little, but I wasn’t their keeper.

In the bathroom, I scrubbed the dirt from the rally off my face. Tearing off my shirt, I planned to take a scalding shower. But I heard a noise. Stepping out into the hall, I ran into Lexi, still dressed in the clothes from earlier, holding a damn frying pan in the air. She froze when she saw me, relief flashing across her face.

“Easy, princess,” I whispered. “You planning on bashing someone’s skull in?”

“I heard noises,” she blurted. “I thought maybe we were being attacked.”

Drawn in by her, I couldn't resist getting closer. “Just your friend and Chigger having themselves a little midnight fun. The walls here aren’t exactly thick.”

Her face turned bright red. “Right. Um… You’re back.”

“Got back a few minutes ago,” I explained, shooting a glance to the cries of passion coming from the bedroom. “Didn’t feel like stepping into that, so I was gonna crash on the futon in the living room. But now….” I thought about the lumpy cushions. “I doubt I’ll get any peace with that going on.”

“You can, uh, take Nova’s bed in my room, if you want. I mean, she’s obviously not using it.”

My heart did a funny twist. “You sure?”

Lexi nodded eagerly. “Yeah. It’s fine. Let’s just…sleep.”

Damn, she was sexy. The way her lips trembled as her breathing quickened. This girl wanted me. It was written all over her face, but for some reason she was holding back. “All right. Lead the way.”

We headed down the hallway to her room. Sure enough, it had two small twin beds. Nova’s bed was empty. Since she’d obviously moved on to warmer company. Lexi cleared her throat and sat down the pan she’d still been clutching. She turned out the light, plunging the room into darkness. The faint moonlight through the curtains showed her silhouette as she crawled under the blanket of the other bed.

Getting rid of my boots, I sank onto the bed's edge nearest the door. Determined to give Lexi some space, my eyes fixed on the ceiling, letting my mind drift. The day had been pure chaos, from Kingpin’s bullshit to Hoops grabbing me to the never-ending swirl of confusion around Diana’s murder. But at least here, with Lexi a few feet away, I felt… calmer. She was within arm’s reach, so that meant I could get some rest.

I woke before dawn, a little light creeping in. Lexi was still out cold, facing the window. She looked oddly peaceful, no tension across her brow like I’d seen before. A protective urge swelled in my chest as I watched her. There’s nothing I wanted more than to slip behind her, spoon her, comfort her. And then maybe have my way with her. But the girl was grieving the loss of her mother.

Quietly, I left the bedroom and went to the cramped bathroom. I showered quickly, cursing under my breath at the lukewarm water that sputtered from the old showerhead. When I emerged, dressed in fresh clothes, I noticed Chigger and Nova were still knocked out in the other room. No surprise there.

I rummaged in the kitchen and found instant coffee packets, water, and an old drip coffee machine. Soon, the rich aroma of coffee filled the cabin. I was pouring myself a cup when Lexi shuffled out, hair tussled, eyes squinting.

“Smells good,” she murmured. “Gimme.”

I handed her a mug. “Morning, princess.”

She sipped, sighing in delight as the caffeine hit her system. Then her expression sobered. “Why do you call me that?”

“You’re not like anyone in the circles I run in now, lawyer girl.”

“I’m just a girl who finished school and passed the bar. I’m no one special.”

“In my eyes you are,” I said, thinking about all the women in my world I could have with a snap of my fingers. Lexi looked like she at least had some standards. “And I bet a girl like you wouldn’t give a biker like me the time of day.”

Lexi made a face. “Men don’t give me the time of day, usually.”

“They’re intimidated. You’re confident, smart, sexy. Probably have a good job. Men want someone to rescue.”

“Like you’re rescuing me?” Her eyes darted to the floor as she shook her head. She was changing the subject. “Did you find out anything from last night?”

Leaning against the counter, I came out with it. “There’s a mob boss named Grinder, runs shit around Texas. That’s where you live, right?”

Leix nodded.

“Possibly your mom messed with him somehow. Also heard rumors of a biker from the SOS MC in San Diego, some old guy your mom might’ve been with, who could be your father. Maybe that guy had a beef with Grinder. We don’t know yet.”

She blinked. “That’s… a lot to process. A father I never knew, and a mob boss who might want me dead.”

I took a long drink of coffee. “Anything your mom left behind that you can think of? Documents, a box of stuff, maybe a computer file? Sometimes blackmail or secrets get stashed.”

She frowned. “She never let me near her personal things. But a few times she dumped some crap at my apartment in Dallas, then left without explanation. I didn’t dig through it. It’s mostly old clothes, random junk. But maybe there’s something hidden in there.”

I set my mug down. “Then that’s our next stop. We need to see what the hell your mom left. If she has anything incriminating, that’d explain why people want you gone.”

“You’re right.” Then she paused. “So… about this possible father? If that’s even true, I don’t know if I want to meet him.”

Lifting my shoulder, I understood. “Maybe you never have to. Kingpin’s info is sketchy. Could just be gossip. But if it’s real, it might tie into the bigger picture.”

Her features hardened. “Kingpin? Your old president?”

“How do you know that?” I asked in a rush, my mind whirling.

“Chigger said the name. He told us about your past.”

“Fuck,” I said automatically. Chigger and I would be having a talk. I was fuming.

“He said the man used to be your president. That’s all. Nova and I grilled him last night. Don’t be upset.”

Fighting to temper my anger, I focused on our next moves. “To Dallas then?”

“Fine. Let’s go. I just want answers.”

By the time Chigger and Nova woke up, we’d finished half the pot of coffee. We filled them in on our plan to drive to Dallas. They agreed without question. Therefore, we packed up the minimal gear we had to shove into Lexi’s trunk, and stepped outside…

…only to find her car’s front tires slashed.

Lexi stood there, jaw slack. “Are you fucking kidding me?” She nudged one of the tires with her foot, rubber torn to shreds. “Why the hell would they slash my tires and not just kill us in our sleep?”

Nova crossed her arms, looking around nervously. “Perhaps they only wished to frighten us? Slow us down? Who knows?”

I kicked the other tire, cursing myself. “And they didn’t touch the bikes?”

At my words, Chigger shot me a guilty look, one that said he was the one who did the deed. He slashed her tires. It all made sense. But did Chigger do it to get closer to Nova or because taking the car was a liability? After all, it was in Lexi’s name. It could be tracked. It was something I’d have to put on my list to talk to him about later.

I covered for him. “Could be a message. Could be they got spooked so didn’t have time to finish or to take us all out. Either way, you can’t drive this piece of junk now.”

Chigger grunted, scanning the tree line. “Well, guess the ladies ride with us.”

Lexi looked between our two Harleys, her expression uneasy. “I’ve never ridden on a motorcycle.”

Chigger had Nova right beside him. She was practically buzzing with excitement. “I have! Well… once. When I was, like, nineteen.” She didn’t look too worried.

I gave Lexi a reassuring nod and my helmet. “It’s not that bad.”

She chewed her lip, glancing at the slashed tires again. “I guess we don’t have a choice, huh?”

“Nope.” I hoisted my bag over my shoulder. “We’ll need to travel light. I’ll have someone from the club come pick up your stuff later. Right now, we need to get on the road.”

Bending over the trunk, Nova and Lexi speedily went through their luggage, tossing some of our stuff, and filled the two saddlebags. Chigger and I stood back and watched. Enjoyed the view.

He leaned sideways and whispered. “You can thank me later.”

I whispered back, “For what? Causing a problem?”

“That car is a liability. Get your head on straight, brother.”

“You’re the one distracted,” I challenged him.

“No, I’m getting mine. I’m keeping Nova out of your hair. You need to get some pussy, stat, so you don’t make such obvious mistakes.”

When Lexi hopped on my bike and hugged me from behind, I said, "Hold on and lean with me."

The beginning of the trip was smooth sailing. Riding for miles with a scared but determined woman holding onto me should be no big deal. Lexi’s grip on my waist got tighter every time we turned. Oddly enough, I was totally worried sick about her. But she chilled out pretty quick, letting me handle the bike. Weirdly, having her close, her warmth on my cut, felt pretty good. But Chigger was right, I was distracted by her. It was something I’d have to take care of soon, just so I could keep her safe.

Nova rode on the back of Chigger’s hog, and we’d occasionally stop for gas or a quick bite. The sun was brutal, sweat pouring down my face, but the faster we got to Dallas the faster we got answers. We zipped across the border, arriving in Texas by late afternoon.

The sky turned dark, and we all decided to call it a night. We stopped at a crappy motel off the highway. A burned-out neon sign, flickering, barely showed "VACANCY". The four of us stood at the reception counter, haggling with the bored clerk.

“Two rooms, one night,” Chigger said, flashing the man a casual smile.

“Two beds in each room,” Lexi added.

The clerk gave us a suspicious glance. Bikers often got that reaction. He shrugged, taking our cash, then handed over two keys. Rooms 204 and 205, upstairs. Perfect.

Nova clung to Chigger’s arm, so it was obvious they weren’t separating. Me and Lexi ended up in the other room again.

“Probably for the best,” I mumbled, leading her to our door. “No sense leaving you girls alone in a room.”

She blushed. “Right.”

We realized we forgot our bag, and I stretched out my sore shoulders, preparing to head back out. My stomach rumbled. “Damn, I could eat.”

Lexi smiled faintly. “I think there’s a diner next door. Want to check it out?”

“Absolutely. Let’s see if they at least have real food.”