Chasing Pavement: A Biker Erotic Romance (3 page)

CHAPTER SIX

Miriam
unzipped the grease covered overalls and stepped out of them, grateful to be finished with fixing cars and bikes for the day. She hung the overalls up on the rack and went to the office. Spider was already sitting at the desk, fiddling with the parts of a disassembled handgun.

"I thought we were out of the gun-running business." said Miriam as she signed out.

"Of course we are, sweetheart," Spider replied without looking up from his work, "you remember the ATF screwing us at the bar, right?"

"I was there, remember?" said Miriam, flinching at the unwelcome memory.

"Shit, I'm sorry," said Spider apologetically, getting up to face Miriam, "I didn't mean to make you go through all that again."

"It's ok, Spider, I'm over it," Miriam lied.

The truth was she could barely stand being reminded of it, even after four years. Every detail was still fresh, from her unfaithful, honey-trap coupling with Brad that night in the motel, to the sight of that same Brad, clad in ATF garb and holding a smoking shotgun, standing over the corpse of her boyfriend--the now deceased leader of the Speeding Seraphim.

Spider went over to the office safe, dialed in the combination, and pulled out a wad of cash, counting out several bills and handing it to Miriam.

"There's a thousand bucks in there," said Spider, pulling out a ledger to log the payout, "business has been pretty damn good this past week, and you've earned a bonus."

"About time," said Miriam with a satisfied smile as she pocketed the cash, "I've been working my ass off at this job."

"You sure have," answered Spider, "the club's not gonna go near the gun-running business again anytime soon, but we are looking to expand the car parts business."

"It's only the men who run the Seraphim's business ventures," Miriam pointed out, "what's that got to do with me?"

"You might not be an 'official' Seraphim biker, but you're as much a part of the family as anyone else. And you're sure as hell more than just another groupie." Spider explained, "We all know it hasn't been easy raising Bear's kid without him; so if you ever need extra work for extra cash, you should know it's on the table for you."

"Thanks, Spider," Miriam replied with an appreciative smile, "but Emily and I are getting by just fine, and I need to be there for her on the weekends. Plus, I don't want her exposed to this kind of life. I'll help cut up the cars you boost to help pay the bills, but I'd like to keep my little girl away from all that."

"That's fine, Miriam," Spider said with a nod, placing his hand on her shoulder affectionately, "you do what's best for her."

"Shit!" Miriam cursed when she saw the time, "I have to go pick her up from kindergarten."

CHAPTER SEVEN

As she drove down Main Street, Miriam's mind wandered uneasily back to the events of four years ago, and its enduring consequences. As the girlfriend of their dead leader and the ostensible mother of his daughter, all the Speeding Seraphim held her in exceptionally high regard. She had even earned the position of unofficial Seraphim given all the practical work she did around the club garage. If they knew the truth, they would probably kill her.

She and Bear had always used condoms without any accidents; that meant that Emily's father was undoubtedly Miriam's treacherous old flame: Brad. She loved her daughter more than anything in the world, but it was pretty galling to have been impregnated by the man who'd double crossed her and then killed her boyfriend. Worst of all, it was total hypocrisy on her part to complain about being deceived by Brad given how she'd slept with him in order to steal his car and his gun. She'd even put the gun to his head when he was asleep, only to find herself unable to pull the trigger.

Brad had always been clever at getting himself into and out of trouble, but the level of cold deceit he'd displayed that day was totally unlike him. In fact, it was so uncharacteristic of him that part of Miriam wondered if it had been an act. It would explain why the weapons smuggling charge for which she'd originally been arrested had mysteriously disappeared. The rest of the Seraphim assumed she'd been dismissed as just another groupie by the ATF, but it wouldn't be that far-fetched if Brad had pulled some strings to keep her out of prison.

Miriam slapped herself across the face at the thought. At best, it was just wishful thinking to compensate for the fact that she'd once had feelings for Brad. At worst, it meant potential blackmail material to allow the Feds to manipulate her into betraying her fellow Seraphim. Even if it were true, it didn't change the fact that Brad had killed Bear, and used her to do it. As long as she never saw that son of a bitch again, all would be well.

***

As Miriam pulled up and stepped out of the car, the love of her life came running towards her. Emily was a healthy, bubbly three year old without a care in the world. As Miriam embraced her daughter and hoisted her up into the air, all her fears and worries melted away. Emily may have had her father's eyes and nose, but her giggle was her own and never failed to bring a smile to her mother's face.

As Miriam walked back to the car with her daughter in her arms, she noticed another car on the other side of the road; it was an armored SUV with blacked out windows parked directly opposite the kindergarten, and it looked like the kind of vehicle the Feds used, including the ATF. That possibility made Miriam feel uneasy, very uneasy indeed. Miriam put Emily in the car, fastened her seatbelt, and drove off as quickly as she could; the better to put some distance between herself and that menacing SUV.

***

Miriam and Emily lived in a comfortable, suburban bungalow on the edge of town. Normally Miriam could never have afforded such a nice home on the salary she had, but the property developer had gotten into trouble with the Seraphim a few years ago, and part of his penance had been to sell the house to the girlfriend of their late leader at a rock bottom price. As a result, Miriam and her daughter had a cozy, suburban life together, minus the crippling mortgage debts.

Emily was worn out, as three year olds often were in the afternoon, so Miriam put her to bed for a nap. Once Emily had dozed off in her room, Miriam stashed her money away in the safe with the rest of her hard-earned cash before taking a shower and changing into something more comfortable. She lay down on the sofa and switched on the TV, but with nothing interesting to watch, she turned it off again and sprawled herself out on the cushions in an effort to relax.

The warm afternoon sunshine bathing her body through the blinds was immensely soothing, and Miriam found her worries dissolving away. But they wouldn’t disappear completely, and seeing that SUV waiting outside Emily's school continued to bother her. With three of their number in jail, the Speeding Seraphim were in no position to take on more heat from the ATF or anyone else. If it really was a federal agency vehicle, she'd have to tell the gang as soon as possible so they could plan accordingly.

But what if it were Brad in the vehicle? As much as Miriam hoped she'd never have to run into him again, she couldn't rule it out. Maybe the ATF was planning another operation in the region and wanted to recruit her as an informer against the Seraphim. That would be a guaranteed death sentence if she were found out; not to mention she'd sooner put a bullet in Brad's head than trust him a second time. Would he really have the gall to come see her again after what had happened between them?

Miriam tried to banish anymore thoughts of Brad from her mind and just drift off to sleep; but the more she tried not to think about Brad, the more he kept popping up in her thoughts. Most intrusive of all were the memories of her night with Brad, the most intense coupling she'd experienced in years. Even though the only good consequence of spreading her legs for the enemy had been Emily, she still couldn't do away with the genuine excitement those memories evoked. More confusing still, a large part of her didn't want to. In spite of her present worries and fears for the future, basking in the afternoon sun was making Miriam's body feel warm and fuzzy; she could even feel a wet sensation starting to bloom in the crotch of her panties.

Miriam's hand slipped down unbidden between her legs, taking a hold of her groin and rubbing it gently through the material of her sweatpants. She hated Brad for deceiving her and killing Bear in front of her, and she hated herself for betraying Bear and potentially the Speeding Seraphim by having the child of the same ATF agent who'd killed her boyfriend, but there was something inexplicably arousing about what she’d done and--for the time being, at least--had successfully gotten away with. She'd slept with the enemy and given birth to his child, committing the ultimate deceit against the people who'd been her family for fourteen years; and she had yet to be caught.

Miriam slipped her fingers down into her sweatpants and began rubbing her clitoris in slow circles, causing a fiery tingling to build up in her belly. As her eyes rolled back in response to the pleasure, she couldn't help but picture Brad on top of her in all his naked glory, pinning her wrists to the bed and thrusting into her like a champion bull. The ATF had been chasing the Speeding Seraphim for at least a year before the raid that ended their gun-running business; had Brad known that he was screwing the girlfriend of the gang leader he'd been hunting for so long? The thought was deliciously dirty in Miriam's mind as she embraced the scale of the betrayal she'd committed ostensibly for the good of the club. Perhaps the real reason she hated Brad for double-crossing her was that it reminded her of what a lying hypocrite she was. That was nothing to be proud of, and Miriam certainly didn't feel proud of it, but there was no harm in fantasizing in the security of her own home.

The jingle of the doorbell interrupted Miriam's self-pleasuring, making her jolt in surprise. She jumped to her feet and guiltily wiped her pleasure stained fingers on the sofa before straightening herself out. Who the hell would call on her at this time of day, anyway? If Spider or Nicole needed something, they could just call her on her cell phone. In any case, there was only one way to find out who it was. Cursing in sexual frustration, Miriam made her way to the front door and opened it. She froze completely when she saw who it was.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Dressed in an ATF uniform, the well-built agent had wavy brown hair and piercing blue eyes. It had only been four years, but he'd barely changed.

"Good to see you, Miriam," said Agent Bradley McMahon.

Miriam's response was to try and slam the door in his face, but Brad put out a hand and held the door open.

"We need to talk," said Brad, sounding completely sincere, "it's important."

"Unless you have a warrant, you should fuck off, you double crossing piece of shit!" Miriam snarled uncooperatively as she struggled with the door.

"If you won't hear me out I can come back with a warrant and force you to listen." said Brad, patiently holding the door open. Miriam scowled angrily at her federal ex-boyfriend before finally capitulating.

"Wipe your feet and follow me," she ordered, releasing the door. Brad duly wiped his feet and stepped inside, shutting the door behind him.

In that instant, Miriam seriously considered making a run for her bedroom and fetching the Colt .45 she kept in her wardrobe. One bullet through his brain and it would all be over. But of course she knew she couldn’t do that; as much as she hated Brad, if she were to murder a federal agent--assuming he didn’t shoot her first--the consequences would be far worse for all concerned. She would go to prison for the rest of her life and Emily would be taken away and put in the system; not to mention the Feds would have every reason to search the Seraphim’s clubhouse and other properties, leading inevitably to the discovery of their stash of stolen car parts and remaining stockpile of illegal arms. Brad was an ATF agent, and probably a highly decorated one by now; if she killed him, or harmed him in anyway, the Speeding Seraphim would be finished.

Brad followed Miriam into the living room and took a seat whilst she sat opposite him on the sofa and glared at him, waiting for him to explain himself.

“I just wanted to check up on you and Emily.” said Brad.

“The Seraphim are out of the gun-running business, Brad.” Miriam replied, refusing to believe him, “There’s nothing illegal here.”

“I know,” said Brad, “your buddies have moved on to cutting up stolen cars and selling the parts on the black market.”

“If you had proof, you’d have arrested us all by now.” Miriam said confidently.

“Relax, Miriam, there’s no room for ‘carjacking’ in the ATF acronym. The truth is the Seraphim are now well below my pay grade.”

“Then what the fuck are you doing here?” Miriam demanded.

“Like I said, I’m seeing how you’re doing.”

“You mean in the four years since you killed my boyfriend in front of me?” Miriam shot back bitterly, “Emily and I were doing just fine before that same ATF agent showed up on my doorstep again.”

“Look Miriam, I know I was pretty cold to you that day,” said Brad, remaining calmly defensive, “but who do you think got those arms smuggling charges against you dropped so you could live a free woman, not to mention attempted murder of a federal agent?”

“You sabotaged that gun,” Miriam pointed out, “then goaded me into pulling the trigger. How the fuck was it attempted murder when you knew it wouldn’t go off?”

“Because you thought it would.”

“And all this means what exactly?” was Miriam’s hostile reply, “that we’re even?”

“It means I’ve been pulling all kinds of strings behind the scenes to keep you and Emily safe for the past four years.”

Brad paused to let his words sink in as Miriam weighed the truth of what he’d said.

“If any of what you’ve just said is true,” said Miriam, this time in a calmer voice, “then you’re jeopardizing all you’re ‘hard work’ just by being here.”

“I’m offering you a way out of all this,” explained Brad, “go into witness protection and start over with new identities for you and Emily.”

“What?!” exclaimed Miriam in disbelief, “why the hell would I uproot my daughter and I on the word of some two-faced Fed? In fact, just you being in this house puts us both in danger. Get the fuck out, now!”

Brad didn’t reply. He had turned to acknowledge the other occupant of the house.

“I can’t sleep.” said Emily, rubbing her tired eyes.

“I’m sorry, sweetie,” said Miriam, feeling guilty for waking her daughter as she scooped her up carried her back to her room, “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“Who’s that?” Emily asked, peering over Miriam’s shoulder and pointing at Brad.

“Nobody.” replied Miriam, dismissing her daughter’s question.

“Hi ‘nobody’!” Emily waved to the stranger. Brad smiled and waved back as Miriam put Emily back to bed. After shutting the door to Emily’s bedroom, she turned back to Brad looking angrier than before.

“Don’t you dare say another word to her, or come near either of us ever again.” Miriam hissed, keeping her voice low so as not to disturb Emily.

“I knew you wouldn’t last a week in prison,” continued Brad, ignoring Miriam’s demands, “and I knew what the other Seraphim would do to you if they suspected you had a hand in the raid that put them out of the gun-running business. So I crafted rumors that it was the result of a tipoff from one of the Seraphim’s smaller rivals. I wound you up in the bar so you’d believe it, and spent four years maintaining that fiction so you and our daughter could be safe; but I don’t know how long I can keep it up.”

“What makes you think she’s yours?” said Miriam, opting to barb Brad and aim low.

“Because of the night we spent together.” Brad responded, stepping casually into Miriam’s personal space.

“You seem pretty certain,” said Miriam, backing away towards the wall, “given that it was only a one time affair.”

“Plus, she has my eyes.” Brad pointed out, continuing to advance towards Miriam.

“I had a boyfriend before you killed him.”

“You’re just saying that to needle me.” answered Brad, remaining totally unfazed as he finally got Miriam up against the wall.

“No shit,” Miriam hissed back in increasingly nervous frustration, “for the hundredth time, get the fuck out of my house!”

Brad leaned forward and tried to kiss Miriam. She pulled back defensively and grabbed his crotch, making Brad freeze.

“Please don’t make me squeeze.” whispered Miriam, genuinely not wanting to.

The bulge in her hand was pretty sizeable, and she could feel it growing as she held it. The feeling brought up involuntary memories of the times she’d gone to bed with him, including the night Emily had been conceived. Brad leaned forward again, more slowly this time, trying to kiss Miriam a second time.

“Don’t…” Miriam murmured half-heartedly.

Brad’s lips made contact with hers for a fraction of a second before pulling back again, leaving Miriam hungry for more in spite of herself. Her heart was starting to race now. She still hated Brad for what he’d put her through, but she didn’t have to like him to be physically attracted to him. She’d been fantasizing about him barely a quarter of an hour before. Just having him this close to her was making her pussy start to moisten again.

Miriam wrestled with her conflicting needs and urges as Brad silently towered over her. Every second an ATF agent was in her house increased the risk of discovery by her fellow Seraphim; and it would be ten times worse if she spread her legs for him. It was one thing to engage in such a forbidden coupling when it was only herself she had to worry about. It was entirely another to risk her three year old child’s life for her own gratification.

However, since Brad didn’t seem to want to go, maybe there was a way to make him leave and satisfy the growing need in her belly. Miriam leaned in towards Brad, brushing her lips against his neck on her way to his ear.

“I’ll let you fuck me if you promise to leave.” Miriam whispered.

“You’re not some whore to be bought and thrown away.” replied Brad, whilst reaching both hands around behind Miriam’s waist to pull her in closer.

“I’m glad you think so,” Miriam retorted sarcastically, “but it didn’t stop me whoring myself out to you four years ago.”

“And just look how that turned out.” answered Brad. Miriam’s response to that was a swift punch to the stomach.

“Fuck you, you son of a bitch!” Miriam hissed angrily.

“I remember when you said those exact words 16 years ago,” said Brad with a smile, unfazed by the punch, “and my mother was standing right behind you.”

The memory was still enough to bring a flush of red embarrassment to Miriam’s face.

“Damn it, Brad; either fuck me or get out of my house.”

Brad went for the first option, sweeping Miriam up into his arms. Miriam suppressed a yelp so as not to wake Emily, and wrapped her arms around Brad’s neck for extra support.

“End of the hall.” Miriam instructed him.