Page 6 of Pearl (Royal Harlots MC, Phoenix, Az. #1)

Carver

I wake to a battery of stomping feet above my head, glancing over at the twin bunk that Lucky’s still stretched out on with not a care in the world.

I pull myself out of bed and push my hair back out of my eyes, cursing the world for pulling me from a dream with the blonde-haired babe who has a body made for sin and a sharp little tongue to back it up and was riding me to a wicked fucking climax before those assholes upstairs woke me up.

Doors begin to slam, and the noise dissipates to a slow rumble.

I grab my shaving bag and head into the bathroom to get ready for the day.

Lucky barely stirs as I come back into the room, snoring even louder than he did all night.

Living life to the fullest now that he’s on the outside.

A few too many beers, a couple bunnies with nice tits on his lap and he was a happy man when I left him to crash for the night.

Not that the ladies weren’t enticing, but I need all my wits about me today.

It’s not as easy to dodge the patrols and gangs on the main highway and with my history, I don’t want to run into either.

I zigzag a route using the fastest way between here and Vegas, routing the path in my mind, while adding a couple side trips through the canyons to get me away from one of the weigh stations where I know cops will be.

It’ll add a little time but less than getting stopped and thrown into the slammer.

And help me avoid biker trouble to boot.

With a plan in mind, I’m ready to ride, get there and get back to keep an eye on the Harlots tonight.

And one sexy-assed blonde with a mouth made for sin in particular.

One look at the bikers upstairs, getting geared up, pissed off and ready to ride, tells me that staying out of the madness and mayhem of the day is far from likely. They went to bed anxious to rumble and they woke up more than ready to throw down when all the crews come together in the south.

Hawg walks over to me the minute he sees me join them upstairs.

“Fucking Scorpions are in our corner of the world again, stirring shit up near one of our bars on the other side of town. We need to go handle our business. No one is going to come anywhere near the Phoenix Crew’s club in broad daylight.

Besides, Pearl and the Harlots are strapped, they’ll take care of anyone who gets anywhere close.

We wouldn’t go if we didn’t have to handle our business. ”

Fuck, I don’t like the idea of the ladies being left alone at all. “How long will it take?”

The big burly guy eyes the round clock on the wall.

“As long as it takes me to get across town and put a bat upside their fucking heads. Cause that’s what happens when you hang out where you haven’t been invited and try messing with someone’s ol’ lady.

A couple of them boys are going to get more than a lesson today. ”

I sigh heavily, just one of the reasons I like to ride solo.

Everyone in a club’s problems become yours, but in this case it’s the ladies’.

A bunch of innocents who shouldn’t be left alone if we can prevent it, and I can.

“Me and Lucky will stay here and watch out for the women until you get back. I’ll still have time to get to Vegas and back before you need the product. ”

Hawg slaps me on the back, his bloodshot eyes from the night before gentle and kind. “I appreciate it man. We owe you one.”

“No, you don’t. It’s what we do. Watch out for each other.

” And for the first time in a long time, that’s exactly the way I feel.

Even if it causes me to start out a little later and I need to ride faster to get back here on time.

Not because the little blonde bottle of fury is downstairs either, or that she makes my cock harder than it’s ever been, or for a thousand other reasons that I shouldn’t even be thinking about, but all seem to revolve around her.

One of the ol’ ladies walks over to Hawg and whispers something in his ear.

He exhales a deep breath, pulling on his leather jacket.

“Fucking day hasn’t even started yet and we’ve got more trouble than I want to deal with today.

” He glares at his second in command. “Who the fuck was watching the ladies? I’m gonna get my ass in a sling if something happens to Pearl.

Duchess gave the word to protect her like she was one of ours, and now she’s fucking gone.

At the same time, we’ve got fucking Scorpions flaunting the fact they just had an overnight with Brite’s ol’ lady. ”

He grabs a bottle of orange juice from the refrigerator and guzzles the contents.

“Let’s ride, boys.” He points to me. “Take care of the ladies until we get back. Talk to Onyx. She’s Pearl’s next in command.

She’ll know what’s going on with Pearl. Text me the minute you get that information and we’ll go after that pain in the ass.

One fucking problem at a time,” he grumbles.

My jaw locks tightly. If you ask me, they should be going after Pearl first, but they didn’t ask, and I’m in no mood to cross a fucking Phoenix Crew or Royal Bastard not knowing the full situation.

And it may take longer than I fucking like to get the information we need.

“I’ll be here, but hurry. You get back and I’ll go after her.

I can make that ride faster than anyone around. You fucking know it.”

Hawg looks thoughtful and then nods. “That you can, Carver. You tear up those canyons like nobody’s business. This won’t take long. One bat, two bats, three bats, done. Then we’ll be back.”

The minute they walk out the door, I head downstairs, rapping on the door to give the ladies fair warning that I’m coming in but I’m not giving them much time, because I need answers and want them now.

The dark-haired chick with an unusually smooth and glistening complexion looks at me with wide eyes as I burst through the door. “Where’s Pearl?”

Onyx raises her eyebrows but doesn’t say a word.

The arrogance in her bright green eyes tells me she’s not used to being questioned, told what to do or anything of the sort, but I’m already out of patience and it’s not even six a.m. “I’m not asking you again so nice.

Where the fuck did she go?” But in the back of my mind, I already know.

She’s gone after Angel’s sister. I should have known she would.

That same fucking attitude, she too is used to doing exactly what she wants, when she wants, and something in the sound of her voice when she was talking with Hawg yesterday should have clued me into the fact that she wasn’t going to leave that girl to fend for herself.

Fuck, I should have known better.

Onyx starts to say something, but I cut her off. I’ve already figured it out and she’s no damn narc if she’s second in command to Pearl. Something tells me Pearl would demand far more loyalty than that. “What time did she leave?”

Onyx shrugs. “What time do you want me to tell you she left?”

Fucking smart ass. “I’m on your side. I’m going after her to bring her back.”

She shrugs. “You can try, but Pearl doesn’t need a man to jump in and play hero. She’ll make that ride, bring Angel’s sister back, and do it all on her own steam.”

And I should let her, but I already know that isn’t going to happen, because something about that blonde baby with a body made for sin, and an attitude to boot, has me fucking captivated whether I want to admit it or not.

No one gets the drop on me, much less pulls the wool over my eyes, and yet that’s exactly what she did whether she planned to or not.

When I find that babe, I’m going to show her who her daddy is, that’s for damn sure.

Because without meaning to, Onyx just confirmed exactly what I thought.

Pearl is heading into trouble all alone, and the thought of that causes me to be harsher with Onyx than I intend to be.

“Fucking tell me what I want to know, or I swear to god I’ll put you on that saddle and make you take me to her at gunpoint. ”

By the time I’ve finished with Onyx, giving the others the third degree, and getting the information I need, the roar of the Phoenix Crew can be heard, their bikes rumbling the walls of the club around us.

I race upstairs to make sure it’s them returning and not some other rival gang, or worse, someone looking for the ladies we’ve managed to keep hidden until now.

Hawg walks in just as I get upstairs. At least something’s going our way today.

I gesture toward the lower level. “The ladies are downstairs. I’m going after Pearl.

It sounds like she took off right after dawn and probably has a good couple hours on me already.

” Let’s hope she’s not as fast as her VP says she is.

I glance at the barkeep who’s mixing up some orange juice and vodka concoction.

“I know you’ve got a shotgun back there.

I’m going to need to borrow it and a shit ton of lead. ”

His eyebrow arches, looking at his prez. Hawg nods his head. “Give it to him. Pearl is under our protection and Carver’s riding for us.”

The barkeep tosses it in the air, and I catch it with one hand, do a quick inspection and grab the box of shells he slides over the top of the bar. “Bring her back in one piece. That shotgun was my daddy’s.”

Once outside, I tuck it into the duffle strapped to the back and rev the engine before hitting the street.

The open highway miles fly by, the sun bright and intense, but at least the wind isn’t blowing and the dust across the desert isn’t drifting across the road, like times before.

But still, slowing down for known speed traps irks my ass, and makes me feel like I’m crawling along until I can speed up and feel the wind sucking my face back again.

Mile after mile, I get closer to Vegas. But the road up ahead is bound to be filled with bikers brooding for a good fight on their way to the Tucson meet and I’m going to avoid getting sucked into that as sure as shit.

I pull off on a road that will take me a little longer but will most likely save me a whole ton of trouble.

The road climbs high above the highway, winding around, and I follow its edge, for a moment caught up in the vastness of the red rock around me and the depth of the land below. Keeping my eyes peeled for one lone rider who has managed to captivate me like no one else.