Page 28 of Mile High With the Bikers (Screaming Eagles MC #10)

RORY

Mason waits patiently for me outside the gate, in his dark suit and scrolling on his phone while the guards keep an eye on him. Hawk and… Reaper, I think the other one is called. There are too many faces and names to know everyone yet.

“Can you let him in?”

Hawk shakes his head. “Against orders. Eagle-eye is still pissed about the whole threat to our security thing.”

Mason glances up. “Rory! Good, I was getting worried.”

“What are you doing here? Why isn’t Dad answering his phone?”

He looks past me at Diesel, then over at the bikers coming out to see what's going on. I recognize Bull right away, with Shrapnel right beside him. “Is there anywhere we can talk in private?”

Hawk gestures to the other end of the gate.

Mason rolls his eyes. “I’m not going to hurt Ms. Whittaker. I’ve worked for her father for years.”

“And I’ve lived this long because I don’t give a fuck,” Hawk spits out.

“Fine,” Mason growls.

We move to the far end of the gate, Mason on one side, and Diesel, Shrapnel, Bull and me on the other.

“I’d feel better just speaking with you, Rory,” Mason grumbles. “Your father’s business doesn’t have anything to do with them.”

Shrapnel crosses his hands over his chest and glares at my father’s security guard. “I disagree. Rory is our business, so if you need to speak to her, we’re gonna be there.”

“Whatever it is you can say it, Mason. They know everything. I had to tell them about Hermes so they could help me set up for the second demonstration.”

Mason doesn’t look happy about that, but just nods. “We’ve kept it quiet, but there was another attempted attack on your father this morning.”

My first reaction is anger, not worry. “That idiot! I told him it wasn't safe. Is he okay?” So much for his big plan to ferret out the troublemakers.

“Mr. Whittaker is fine. We got him out of sight and back to the office, but we’re under lockdown, and he wants you back.

Something to do with re-evaluating the project, and he needs you there for it.

Said only you know the systems well enough.

” Mason rolls his eyes. “Business as usual, right? I think he needed the wakeup call, to be honest. He sent me to bring you and your equipment to the secondary office.”

“Why didn't he just pick up the phone? Why send you in person?” Diesel leans against the gate, watching Mason with obvious suspicion. “All of a sudden he’s changed his mind? I’m not sure I buy it.”

“I don’t need you to buy it, it’s the truth.

He’s survived two attempts on his life in a short time frame and one of his chief developers is holed up with a post-apocalyptic looking cult that worships motorcycles.

” Mason gestures at the compound. “I don’t know the boss’s every thought, but I know he’s earned a little paranoia.

He doesn't trust that someone isn’t tracing his calls, and since it’s my job to keep him safe, I’d prefer him cautious. ”

Dad must've gotten really spooked. Maybe that's to my benefit.

The best thing for everyone would be if we create an effective countermeasure for Hermes and then release the whole thing as a research paper.

So the company gets credit for the amazing tech, without putting anyone else in danger.

That would save a lot of face and work out way better than me sabotaging it and making him angry.

“Where is he now?” Bull asks, putting his hand on my hip for comfort.

Mason's gaze fixes on where we’re touching, then comes back up.

I get the impression he doesn't approve, but who I get into relationships with is none of his business.

For a moment, he's reluctant to answer, probably because he still doesn't trust the bikers, but he gets there.

“Rory knows where the alternate headquarters is.

We got him to safety, removed all the visitors, and now no one's getting in or out without his say-so.

He's safe, otherwise I wouldn't be here.”

“Do you trust him?” Bull asks, pulling me to the side.

I shrug. “Yes? Mason has worked for Dad since before I showed up. As far as I know he’s never done anything to make us doubt him, and Dad dropping off-grid when he gets spooked sounds pretty typical for him.

I think this might be our best chance at all of this working out without causing any more trouble. ”

“I need to go back,” Mason says, sounding impatient. “Are you coming with me?”

“I don't like it.” Diesel's expression is hard. “This asshole was on the plane when it went down, and I didn’t see him hauling your ass off it.”

Bull tugs me just a little closer. “Is it normal for him to not even have a message for you? I get it if he’s worried about phone calls being traced, but nothing?”

“Who’s watching him now?” Shrapnel steps to the gate and looks down at Mason with a snooty glare.

Mason looks away, clearly frustrated. “We don’t have time for this.

He sent me because Rory knows me. My co-worker Tim is with him right now, managing the site.

Listen, we have an armored car waiting, ready to take us there.

Please, Ms. Whittaker. You know how tricky this project has been and how important it is that it gets handled quickly. ”

He's right, and even if we still have some disagreements to work out, it sounds like Dad and I might be on the same page again. I'm not going to ditch him when things are actually dangerous. He's distant and difficult, and we disagree on a lot, but that doesn't mean I want him hurt or dead.”

“I'll go.”

A flash of relief passes over Mason's normally stony face. “Good. Grab your things, and we'll get going.”

I run back inside and pack my backpack, leaving the suitcase that they brought me when I was told I could stay. Knowing it’s here makes me feel better. I’ll have to come back, at least to help fulfill my promise to secure their network and to get my things.

Shrapnel comes into the room. “I think you should stay here. I have a bad feeling about this.”

“No, I’m glad that you guys care, but this is my mess, too.

I can’t pretend that I didn’t know the potential issues with Hermes, but just like Dad, I thought it was more fun to figure out how to do it than to question our motivations.

He took it in a direction that I didn’t anticipate, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t my responsibility to start making this right again.

I can’t hide here because you have a bad feeling.

” I stretch up onto my toes and press a kiss to his jaw, letting my fingers play over his shirt and tease his nipple rings from the outside.

“Is it okay if I come back to visit when this is over?”

He sighs and runs his hands down the sides of my arms. “Yes. Or we’ll track you down and drag you back anyway.”

I grin. “You better.”

Outside, Mason is still arguing with Bull and Diesel.

“She's a fucking adult.” Bull's voice has dropped to a dark deadliness. “Mr. Whittaker can think any way he wants, but she makes this call. And anyone who tries to get in the way of that is gonna have to come through us.”

Mason snorts. “She already made that decision. As far as I can tell, it's you idiots who’re telling her no. Where's her freedom now, then? Or does it just apply to others?”

“Everyone, stop it! He's right, I said I'd go. I know you guys are looking out for me, but like you said, I'm an adult.” I don't like snapping at them, and the way they all narrow their eyes, they don't like it either.

Bull nods. “Alright, but we’re coming with you.”

“Oh for fuck’s sake! I'm not bringing a whole team of bikers back to Mr. Whittaker.

What if you're involved in this after all? It was real convenient that you happened to be on the plane when the fighting started, just to make it out in the nick of time with Rory and leave us behind.” He runs a frustrated hand through his hair.

“We have no way of knowing for sure, so until then, she's safer with us.”

“One of us, then.” Shrapnel levels the deadly glare of someone who's seen worse shit than Mason on the bottom of his shoes.

“If you don't have the power to keep tabs on just one of us, then Rory shouldn't be there. And if shit hits the fan, another person on her side will only keep her safer. Your job is Whittaker. Ours is Rory. No conflict of interest.” He turns to me. “How does that sound? Your decision.”

“If it means actually getting out of here? Then yes, let’s go. The sooner we leave the sooner we can start making progress.” Having one of them with me? I’m all for it. I just don’t want Mason to think I’m being too enthusiastic. “Come on, Mason. Even if Dad doesn't trust them, I do.”

Shrapnel blows Mason a kiss.

Mason draws a slow breath through his nose, probably reciting that, “Give me the strength…” prayer, but after he lets the breath back out, he nods. “Fine. As long as we can get ourselves the hell out of here ASAP. Mr. Whittaker is waiting. And no guns. No one's bringing firearms into the lockdown.”

Shrapnel scowls skeptically at him, but pulls his pistol out of his belt and hands it to Diesel. “Watch this for me.”

“You got it.”

Then all of them follow us out to the car. It’s a boxy black SUV with tinted windows, clearly not something you pick up straight off the dealer room floor. “Whose car is this? I don’t recognize it.”

“Mr. Whittaker special ordered it after the first attack. It’s on loan from a military supplier,” Mason explains.

“Call if anything goes south. We'll be waiting.” Bull's sharp eyes follow us until we're both inside. Then Mason shuts the door and goes around to the front passenger seat, like he usually does.

“I'm still not sure about this,” Shrapnel murmurs close to my ear. Now that it's just the two of us in the back, and the car is pulling out, I can't shake the feeling of being trapped.

“I'm not either.”