Loving The Biker (MC Biker Romance) (4 page)

“It’s a fucking waste of time, I’m telling you,” said Bronson.

“Adjust your attitude, Bronson. You’re already on my shit-list this morning,” warned Walters.

Bronson’s eye twitched. “I’m just saying, she was too frightened to talk last time we checked in with her.”

“
Was
. She might not be anymore,” he replied.

Bronson shrugged.

“What about Raptor’s Ex?” asked Walters. “Brandy? Maybe she’d be willing to cough up some information now that it’s been a while.”

“She split town a couple of years back,” said Bronson. “She has family here, though. I’m sure we can locate her if you really think it’s worth it.”

“We don’t have anything else going on, so why not?” said Walters. “Find her and press her again, too.”

“Will do,” said Pen, jotting down notes.

“I’m heading over to Sal’s for lunch,” said Walters. “See if he knows anything about The Judge.”

“That’s Raina’s uncle, right?” I asked. “The one engaged to Tank?”

“Yep. Sal and I go way back. In fact, we went to high school together,” he replied. “And were on the same football team.”

“You think he knows anything?” I asked.

“I highly doubt it, but I’m not going to let that stop me from picking his brain. One thing I do know is that he has little respect for criminals and I’m sure he’s not thrilled about Tank and Raina’s engagement.”

“Is it true that her brother is a new Prospect for the Gold Vipers?” I asked, remembering that I’d read it in the file.

“Yes, he is,” said Walters, putting his jacket on. “Before that, he was with the Devil’s Rangers. No wonder Sal drinks like he does.”

“The move from Devil’s Rangers to Gold Vipers must have gone over very well,” I mused.

Walters headed toward the door. “I’m sure they were quite pissed. Anyway, let’s see if we can get something useful in the next few days. We need to find out who killed Slammer and get our hands on the Judge.”

“And I’d like to win the lottery,” muttered Bronson as Walters walked out of the conference room.

Four

Cole

After finishing up with the garbage disposal, I ran into Tank and Raina again on my way out to lunch.

“Where you heading now?” Tank asked, his arm around my sister’s shoulder.

“Was going to grab a bite to eat and check on Sal,” I replied, twirling my keys around my finger. “Unless you need me for something right now.”

“No, man. Go and get yourself some lunch. You’ve been working your ass off today.”

“Thanks.”

“I should go with you,” said Raina. Sal, our uncle, had admitted himself into an alcohol rehabilitation center, three weeks ago. He’d been diagnosed with liver disease and things weren’t looking too good for him.

“Don’t you have to get back to the bar?” I asked her. Both she and I were now co-owners of Sal’s bar.  Since I was already working two jobs, I wasn’t able to help out much but Raina insisted that she could handle running the place.

“Yeah, but Matt’s there. I’ll just call him and tell him I’m going to be a little late,” she replied.

Raina had promoted one of the bartenders to manager status. Even though he was a hard worked, this had pissed off some of the other waitresses, especially a woman named Marie, who’d given her a hard time even before the issue with Sal’s health.

“Sounds good,” I said, wanting to spend some time with Raina anyway. Both of us were always heading the opposite direction.

“How’s he been doing?” asked Tank.

“Sal? I spoke to him last night and he said that he was beginning to handle things a little better. The first couple of weeks were hell, though,” said Raina. “He went through withdrawals and had a pretty rough time. Hopefully the worst is over.”

“Good to hear. I like that old fart. He needs to get better so he can walk you down the aisle,” said Tank.

“That’s what I keep telling him. Surprisingly, he likes you too,” said Raina.

“Princess, what’s not to like?” he said puffing out his chest and grinning wickedly. “I’m not only good looking, I’m great with kids and have a soft spot for his niece. Plus, I can always help run Sal’s if needed.”

“I’m sure you could. Cole and I have it covered though. In fact,” she said, turning toward me. “I was hoping to start training you into a few things so that we could run the place together eventually. That way you wouldn’t have to bounce at Griffin’s.”

I looked at Tank.

He shrugged. “She needs you more than I do. I can always hire new security.”

“Exactly. You know, I’ve been putting in so many hours that I’m not spending as much time with Billy as I’d like.”

“I’d like to see more of you, too,” remarked Tank.

She leaned up and kissed him.

“Speaking of Billy, where is he now?” I asked. I missed my nephew and knew that if things didn’t change soon, he wouldn’t remember who I was.

“With Grandma Frannie,” she replied.

Frannie was Tank’s step-mom.

“Cool. Well, I have to work the few days, at Griffin’s, but I have Sunday off. Maybe we could start then?” I suggested.

“Jessica and Jordan are returning Sunday,” said Tank. “I was hoping that you could drive with me to the airport and pick them up. What about Friday? You can have that day off.”

“You sure? You know how crazy it gets there Friday nights,” I said. Especially when the strippers took the stage.

“Let me worry about that,” said Tank. “Help Raina with Sal’s and I’ll figure something out. Hell, maybe I’ll have Cheeks bounce,” he said, smirking. “She’s a tough bitch. In fact, tougher than most of the customers that walk through the front door.”

Cheeks was one of the waitresses at Griffin’s. She used to hang around the clubhouse and rumor had it that she’d slept with Tank a few times. Apparently now they were just friends. My sister didn’t have a clue about their past, however. If she did, the woman would be waitressing somewhere else. I liked Cheeks though and it was obvious that she knew exactly where she stood now that Raina was Tank’s Old Lady.

“I heard that she started dating your new cook, Levi,” said Raina.

“Yeah, it looks that way. He’s a nice guy,” said Tank. “Not only does he make a hell of a burger, he’s dependable. Never late and puts in extra hours.”

“I guess we know why,” said Raina, smiling.

“I guess we do,” said Tank.

Raina looked at her watch. “We should get going. I need to pick up Billy soon.”

“Yeah, and we have a meeting at two. Don’t forget,” said Tank.

“I won’t,” I replied, still wondering why I’d been invited.

He leaned over and kissed Raina goodbye, then my sister and I were walking out the door.

“How’s Billy doing?”

“Good,” she said. “He asks about you all the time. You really need to stop by.”

“I know. Maybe I’ll stop by tomorrow and take him to the park.”

“He’s love that,” she replied.

I grinned. “Good. I’ll check my work schedule and see what time I get off.”

“Where you working tomorrow?”

“The auto body shop. Dou want a ride?” I asked, nodding toward my bike.

“No. I drove,” she said, digging in her purse for her keys.

“Okay. I’m going to grab a sandwich really quick,” I said, suddenly craving a Reuben. “Do you want me to pick you up anything? I’m heading over to Red’s Deli.”

“No, thank you. I brought Tank food already. We ate in his office.”

“Okay. Meet you at the center in about forty minutes?”

“Sure,” she said, getting into her car. “Drive safely.”

“You, too,” I replied, getting on my bike. I put my helmet and sunglasses on, then followed her out of the parking lot.

Five

Terin

After spending the next couple of hours going through files, I rubbed my temples and sat back in the chair.

“Fun stuff, huh?” remarked Fred, walking past me with a cup of coffee.

“A laugh a minute,” I replied, smiling at him

He nodded toward the clock. “You should take a break and grab a bite to eat.”

“You know, that’s a good idea,” I answered, my stomach growling at the mention of food.” Anyone want me to bring back lunch?”

Pen, whose desk was nearest to mine, asked where I was going.

“I don’t know. I’m in the mood for a salad or maybe a sandwich,” I replied.

“I know just the place,” he said. “You should check out that deli on Fourth Street. They’ve got the best Philly cheese steak sandwiches in town. They were featured on some food station show last summer, too.”

“Red’s Delicatessen?” I asked, recalling the place. I’d never been there but had heard the food was amazing.

“That’s it. Here,” he said, reaching into his wallet. He stood up and walked over to my desk. “You fly and I’ll buy.”

I waved my hand. “No. I’ll certainly go, but you don’t have to pay for my lunch.”

“Nonsense. You can buy next time,” he said, throwing a twenty dollar bill down in front of me. “Just get me one of those Phillies and a bag of pretzels. That’s all I ask.”

I picked the bill up. “Okay, thank you. Anyone else?”

“Could you bring back a piece of their blueberry pie?” asked Bronson. “I’ll pay you when you get back.”

“Sure.” I turned to Fred, who was now sitting down at his desk. “Do you want anything?”

He held up a brown bag. “No. My wife actually made me a lunch today. Thanks, though.”

“How is she doing?” I asked, knowing that his wife, Lilly, had recently lost her sister to lung cancer.

“Oh, she’s doing alright,” he replied, removing his eyeglasses. He began wiping them with a handkerchief. “She has her good days and bad ones. They were so close.”

“They were twins, weren’t they?” I asked.

He nodded. “Yes. It’s been very difficult but… I’m hoping that when our granddaughter Jackie comes to stay with us during Christmas, she’ll have something to smile about again.”

“Jackie is in college, right?” I asked, knowing how much he loved talking about her.

“Yes,” he replied, his face beaming. “She’s studying to be a doctor.”

“That’s wonderful,” I replied. “How many years of schooling does she have left?”

He chuckled. “Oh, about ten. She wants to be a brain surgeon.”

“Wow. Ambitious girl,” said Pen, on the other side of me.

“Tell me about it. If anyone can do it she can. Smart as a whip and has the memory of an elephant,” he said. “Unlike her grandfather. I have a hard time remembering what I ate this morning.”

“Bullshit. You’ve got a great memory,” said Pen. He looked at me. “Doesn’t matter who he meets, this guy remembers first and last names, telephone numbers, and even eye colors. He’s the go-to guy for details.”

“Impressive,” I replied, meaning it. “She must get it from you then.”

“I reckon so,” admitted Fred, smiling proudly. “But she definitely gets her beauty and sweetness from Lilly and her mother, Priscilla.”

“Come on now, I’m sure you made all the women swoon back in the day,” I told him. I figured Fred to be in his late sixties now, but with his sparkling blue eyes and contagious smile, it was easy to see that he’d once been a very good looking guy.

He gave me a modest smile. “I held my own. That’s for sure. Caught me a beauty though. I suppose that says something.”

“I think she caught you,” I replied, winking. “Anyway, I’d better get going.” I shoved the money into my purse and stood up. “I’ll be back.”

“Be careful. That’s a bad area of town,” said Fred, putting his eyeglasses back on.

I bit back a smile. “I think I can handle it.”

“He’s right, although, it’s not so bad during lunchtime,” said Pen. “Just stay out of the alley.”

“You know I’m a cop too, right? I carry a gun and even know how to use it,” I said, winking.

“Sorry,” said Pen, smiling. “You just remind me so much of my daughter. You even look a little like her.”

“Who’s your daughter?” asked Bronson. “Mila Kunis?”

“Mila Kunis? Who’s that?” asked Pen.

“An actress. She was the dark-haired hottie in ‘That 70s Show’. Jackie. O’Brien kind of looks like her, but with red hair. You ever think of dying it black?”

“Why would I want to do that?” I answered dryly.

“Black would look good on you. The color of your hair is almost too bright,” he answered.

“Unlike you?” I muttered.

Bronson grunted. “You know what your problem is, you think you’re so much better than everyone else.”

“Not really,” I said. “Just you.”

Fred and Pen laughed.

A vein began to throb on his forehead. He opened his mouth to say something, but then changed his mind. “Dyke,” he said under his breath as he turned away.

“What was that?” I asked sharply. I really didn’t like this guy.
No wonder the only pie Bronson gets is the kind he has to pay for
.

Ignoring me, he began typing on his laptop.

“Don’t listen to him,” said Pen, scowling at Bronson’s back. “He’s just mad because you called him out earlier, in front of Walters.”

“Whatever,” said Bronson, over his shoulder. “I didn’t do anything to O’Brien. Not on purpose, at least.”

My eyes narrowed. “Yeah, just like you didn’t call me a ‘dyke’. By the way, my cousin is gay so you’d better watch your mouth or next time, I will report you.”

“Maybe I should report you for annoying the fuck out of me,” he said.

“You know, they say that excessive swearing is a weakness. It shows ones inability to speak intelligently or prove a valid point,” I said.

“Maybe you should think about swearing more, since you’re not making any valid points either,” he retorted

“Ignore him,” said Pen. “He’s not worth your attention.”

“That’s for sure.” I headed toward the door. “I’ll be back.”

“Thanks for the warning,” said Bronson.

I gave him a dirty look.

He snorted. “I’m just giving you shit. You should learn to take a couple of jabs without blowing a fucking gasket. It’s what we do here. Give each other crap from time to time. It relieves some of the stress we have to deal with.”

“Seems like you’re creating more than relieving it,” I replied. “And this isn’t my first rodeo. I’ve worked with other detectives before and there’s a difference between giving each other shit and being down-right insulting.”

“Let me guess – it’s your time of the month?” he replied.

I rolled my eyes. “You really are something special, aren’t you? Your wife must love it when you’re working overtime.”

“Leave her alone,” said Fred, when Bronson opened his mouth to retaliate. “Enough is enough.”

“Oh, she’s fine…. Right O’Brien?” said Bronson leaning back in his chair. He clasped his fingers over his pot belly. “Just like she said before… this isn’t her first rodeo. And… if she’s going to dish it out, she needs to learn how to take, right?”

As far as I was concerned, I’d taken enough. “Sure. Whatever you say, Bronson,” I said dryly. “I’ll be back.”

“Don’t forget the pie,” he said as I walked toward the doorway.

Resisting the urge to pull out my gun and shoot him in his pie-
hole
, I left the office.

***

Fifteen minutes later, I was in line at the deli, and waiting for the cashier to ring up my order, when I noticed two men walk in. Both were dressed in Devil’s Rangers cuts. Knowing that the deli was far from their Davenport clubhouse, I wondered what they were doing in Jensen. As good as the food probably was, at Red’s, I had an inkling that it wasn’t the deli that had brought them into town.

“Pete here?” one of them asked as they stopped next to the register.

“He’s in his office,” said the cashier, looking uneasy.

“Tell him that Ronnie is here and I want to talk to him,” he said, grabbing a mint from the candy dish next to the register. He was tall, thin, and had a dark Mohawk. There were pock marks on his face and he had a small white scar near his lower lip. As he popped the mint into his mouth, I noticed he had the words “Fuck You” tattooed onto his knuckles.

“Uh, sure,” she replied and then hurried away.

The other biker grabbed a mint too and as he opened the wrapper, winked at me.

“Hey sweet thing. How are you doing today?” he asked, smiling. He was bald and muscular, with yellow teeth, and plugs in his ears. He had a pot plant tattooed on one forearm and on the other, the Devil riding a horse. Underneath that were the words, “Devil’s Ranger”.

“I’m doing fine,” I said, noticing that he smelled like reefer and his pupils were dilated. “How about yourself?”

His eyes wandered past my gray blazer, over my matching wool skirt and to my black pumps.

“You certainly look like you’re doing fine. You here alone?” he asked, grabbing another piece of candy.

Before I could answer, his buddy, Ronnie, laughed. “Really Chips? Even if she is alone, a classy broad like her isn’t going to give you the time of day, dumbass.”

“Fuck you,” said Chips. He turned back to look at me. “Sorry about my friend. He can be a real dickhead at times. Anyway, what’s your name, darlin’?”

“Terin,” I replied as someone else behind the deli counter handed me my order. I noticed that the young man, who was about eighteen, looked a little frightened. “Thank you.”

He nodded and went back to help the next customer.

“Terin, huh? That’s an interesting name. Looks like you have enough food there to feed an army,” said Chips.

“Close. I’ve got some hungry co-workers that love to eat. So, your name is Chips?” I replied.

“That’s my road name,” he replied.

“Why that one?” I asked.

“I eat a lot of chips.” He grinned and wiggled his eyebrows. “That being said, my lady friends like to call me ‘Box’.”

“Is that right?” I answered, rolling my eyes inwardly.

He laughed. “Sure is. So, you going to give me your number or what?”

Before I could answer, the cashier returned.

“Pete coming up her?” he asked.

I stared at the cashier’s face, noticing that she looked even more anxious than before. She licked her lips and told them that Pete wasn’t around.

“Bullshit. His car is parked in back,” said Ronnie, raising his voice.

“Really? Maybe he went for a walk. Your total comes to twenty nine dollars and fifteen cents,” said the cashier, ringing me up.

“Okay.” I handed her my credit card. Her hand shook as she swiped it in the machine.

“Went for walk. Right,” said Ronnie, nodding to Chips. “Let’s go find the fucker.”

They both walked around the cashier and headed toward the back office.

“Shit,” she said, looking frightened.

“What do they want with Pete?” I asked her.

The cashier began biting her nails. “I don’t know.”

“Was he back there?”

She didn’t reply.

Sighing, I pulled out my badge. “Is he in trouble with those guys? If he is, you’d better say something. I can help.”

She hesitated and then confessed. Lowering her voice, she said, “I think so. He slipped out the back when he heard they were here, looking for him.”

I was surprised that she’d been courageous enough to lie to the two bikers. I looked around the dining area. Fortunately, there were only a couple of people eating. Some of the other patrons had left when the two bikers had entered the place. “Okay. Just to be on the safe side, tell the rest of the staff and customers to leave.”

Two people that were waiting in line and listening, didn’t even hesitate. They anxiously headed for the front door, not looking back. The cashier spoke to her co-workers and then made her way to the dining room while I crept down the hallway to see what was happening with Pete.

“See, that piece of shit was here. The coffee is still hot,” said Chips angrily. “Look, there’s back door. He probably ran out that way. Let’s go and get our money.”

Warning bells went off in my head. If Pete owed them money, the situation was just as dangerous as I’d assumed. I knew that I should call for backup, but every moment wasted could prove more dangerous for Pete. The Devil’s Rangers were violent and I knew that if the deli owner was trying to run from them, he probably didn’t have their money.  I opened up my jacket and unclipped my Glock from the holster.

“Should I get out of here?” whispered the cashier, now standing next to me.

“Yeah. Do me a favor and call the police.”

Nodding, she turned around and disappeared.