The Biker's Protection - Book 3 (Motorcycle Club Romance) (Ghosts of the Prairie Motorcycle Club) (6 page)

The Ghosts gathered around Savannah’s dining room table, drinking coffee and eating granola bars that Savannah threw together. As she placed the plate of them in the center of the table, Foley hooked his giant arm around her hips and drew her to his lap. She knew their relationship was a whirlwind, but none of Foley’s fellow bikers had a bit of judgment. 

“The shithead Riggers are denying having anything to do with the incident the other day or last night,” said Danny.

“Bite my ass! If they weren’t Riggers, they sure looked like Riggers,” said Trenton over his coffee. “Someone went out of their way to make it look like them.”

“Maybe because that’s easy. They have a generally bad reputation,” said Danny. “I’m not a fan, but I’m willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. I’ll listen to what they have to say.”

“It doesn’t make a lot of sense that that many would be up here,” said Foley. “Something’s not fucking adding up.”

“Well, you guys are up here,” said Savannah. “Did you say you don’t really live here? Not you, but like the rest of you guys?”

“Yeah, but Riggers stay where the work is. We are all from here. We’re North Dakota natives. It’s different,” said Foley.

“Yeah some of us more than others,” Danny teased.

“Yes, White Feather, we get it,” said Trenton.  “You were here first.”

Savannah perked up. “You said Riggers were from Parshall.”

“Yes,” said Danny.

“My stepmother is living in Parshall,” she said. “I have a strong feeling she’s the one who got them to do this. She’s behind all of this shit, I’m certain.”

“Let’s find the fuckers. And see if it was Riggers,” said Danny. “We’ll go there. But I was thinking of was to have a meeting with them. A sit-down. I’ve already met with their captain who assures me he knew nothing about what had happened. Now bear in mind, I had to drive back down to Parshall. I surprised him. He was where he was supposed to be, for what that’s worth.”

Even though the topic was tense, there was something unbelievably soothing and comforting sitting against Foley’s body. Savannah’s insides were calm and at ease. 

“Do you think he’s telling the truth?” asked Savannah.

Danny blinked. “The dickhead’s a Rigger, but there is a certain amount of honor. If he was screwing with you, he’d be out with it, is my thinking. He’d tell you straight up why.”

“Maybe it’s a couple of them. Maybe Carolyn Payton has a Rigger connection, and he’s doing her a favor,” suggested Trenton. 

“Or worse like Danny said, fakes. Which would not go over well, no matter what club you belong to,” said Foley. “I say we go fucking beat it out of them.”

“If everyone here is agreeable, I have invited them to Outlaws,” said Danny. They’ll let us have the place for the night. If nothing else, a good time will be had by all.”

Foley nudged Savannah. “What do you think?”

“I think it’s a good idea,” she said. “Is the sheriff okay with this? I mean it’s not interfering with an investigation?”

Trenton answered. “Just having a sit-down. A conversation, that’s all. Very peaceful.”

“Okay,” she said. “If all hell doesn’t break loose.”

“Tell you what, someone will talk. And when they do, it will get around. We’ll know what’s what soon enough,” he said.

The mood was somber. It was almost unbearable and such a difference between the levity that followed these guys around. But Ghosts of the Prairie captain Danny White Feather always had a smile. 

“Hey,” Danny said with a light slap of the table. “Let’s go for a ride.”

“Just like that?” asked Savannah.

“Just like that,” said Foley with a grin.

Savannah snuggled into his back, and he hugged her a little tighter. 

“So what do we do?  Pack food and stuff?” she asked. “Or weapons and ammo? In case we’re confronted by Riggers.”

They laughed.

“Come on,” said Danny. “We’ll show you.”

Savannah’s meeting with the Ghosts broke. She and Foley walked Beau with no incident. They did say hello to Dr. Gretsky on her way into the office. She stopped to say hello.

“How’s Beau?” Susan asked as she slowed to talk to them. 

As soon as Savannah replied that he was doing great, Dr. Gretsky rolled up her window.

“Was it something I said?” Savannah asked Foley rhetorically. “Because she was so nice at the clinic.” Savannah watched Foley’s eyes follow Susan Gretsky’s car as it drove down the road.

“She found out we’re kind of seeing each other.”

“She’s not a fan I didn’t listen to her advice.”

“She handed out advice?”

“Yep. Told me to stay away from you. All you want is a quick fuck.”

“She had no right to interfere in my life like that. I’m going to talk to her.”

“It doesn’t matter. No use riling her up.”

They walked for a mile each way, holding hands and remarking how adorable the dog was. As they returned to Savannah’s house Foley and Savannah mounted his bike, as the other riders loaded up to ride. They took a smooth and easy course around a portion of the lake which absolutely enormous and vast. The cool, fall air was refreshing as the bikes cut through. Seeing the other bikers on the highway made Savannah feel like she was a part of something. It was so incredible how fast that all happened. For just a minute, she felt like she belonged. And it felt pretty damn special, no matter how short-lived it was.

Just a short while ago Savannah thought she lost her whole world with the death of her father. The fighting between her stepmother and estate attorney made things even worse. Now she had friends and support. Her life was full. Her bed was full. Her heart too.

It was an overwhelmingly beautiful experience to be holding onto Foley as his wondrous, magnificent back erupted before her like a majestic mountain.

The caravan of bikes pulled over to discuss whether anyone wanted to drive off to an island in the lake where a new casino that had been built. 

“Do you like gambling?” Foley asked her.

“I don’t know, I’ve never been,” she smiled.

“Sheltered girl.”

“Then you better get to corrupting me like you promised.”

It seemed like every time she talked to him she gushed. She had to make sure she didn’t overdo it though the response was completely natural.

“I think I might like to see you in a little black dress,” he said. 

Foley leaned down and kissed her softly. It was a slow but brief kiss that took Savannah’s breath away. The heat between them had some to do with the fact that they were in complete lust with one another. To touch his lips with hers left her intoxicated. They had a chemistry like no other. 

“I better stop,” he murmured. “Or I won’t be able to drive.”

 Just as they were discussing where they might like to get a drink, Foley’s phone buzzed. 

“Again?” moaned Foley. “Fuck.”

“Devil’s Lake has an arsonist,” said Trenton.

Trenton was an enormous man, Savannah realized. She had hired him before, so it wasn’t like it was news to her that he was a tall man. But seeing him stand on the bike, most of his body with the sky for a backdrop made him look like a giant. He and Danny had longish hair, but Trenton’s was down to his shoulders.

“I definitely have to go back,” said Foley.

“You really are pushing it. You were just at a fire. And you, we,” Savannah stopped mid-sentence, blushing profusely recalling the night before.

Foley swooped in and grinned.

“You’re too tired to fight a fire,” she murmured softly.

“Wanna write me a note?” he asked playfully.  “You know if I skip work, I can’t have hot sex with anyone. Fireman’s code.”

Savannah raised her eyebrows.  “I’ll bet it’s not a biker’s code.”

“You catch on quickly,” he said. “You’re absolutely right.”

“I’m serious,” she said.

“Unfortunately, everyone was at the first. We are all tired. If this happens again, we’ll import firefighters from the next town over. We work together like that especially during dry season,” he said.

“Do you think it will happen again?” asked Savannah.

“It could. I will know for sure after we put the fire out, but two all hands fires in a row usually spells firebug. Devil’s Lake probably has an arsonist,” he said. “And I’m fine,” he said.

“Well then, let’s go,” she said.

“No, no,” he said. “You enjoy the rest of your ride. Why don’t you ride with Danny?”

“Sure, Savannah,” said Danny. “We’ll take good care of you.”

“Fucking keep your hands off of her!” he joked.

“Fuck off! If you can’t keep your woman satisfied…”

“Screw you!” he laughed. 

Savannah smiled at their banter. “No offense, but if Foley isn’t here, I just won’t enjoy myself.”

She said it playfully, but she actually meant it. It just wouldn’t be the same without him. And she didn’t want him to be by himself on the road. 

Before they took off, Trenton got a text. He hooped.

“Fuck, yeah!” he said. “They took your estate attorney and your stepmother into custody.”

“They did?” Savannah asked with complete surprise.

 “Don’t sound so shocked,” Trenton replied. “Now we have to find out if those were real Riggers or fake Riggers they hired.”

“They admitted it?” asked Savannah.

“Of course not,” said Trenton. “But a couple of Riggers were coming out of his office as the sheriff went over to question him about last night. It was enough to put the screws to him.”

As Foley and Savannah pulled out back onto the road, something didn’t set right with her.  

Foley dropped Savannah off with a kiss goodbye before he drove away to the firehouse. Savannah put the dog on the leash and walked him.

Chapter 9

Foley didn’t return to her place from the fire that night as he had with the previous fire. Savannah awoke in the middle of the night. She fell asleep on her sofa watching movies. She grabbed her cell phone to skim the internet and saw that the local news reported the firefighters were still battling the blaze. An office building was burning out of control. It happened to be the office building where Savannah’s father’s estate attorney Paul Kerley had his offices. 

Savannah would have drifted back to sleep. The sofa she had been sleeping on was awful comfortable. It was wide and plush. She drew up the throw around her, snuggling. But her mind was wide awake. The television played lightly on the background when she heard somebody had been injured. She listened carefully, and when she heard it was a firefighter, her heart sunk. Was Foley okay? She washed her face and brushed her teeth, then ran a brush through her hair. She couldn’t sleep until she knew. Damn it! And he didn’t have his cell phone. Savannah put Beau on a leash and drove down to the scene of the fire. 

It was hard to know when she was close to the scene of the fire. The office building glowed like a holiday ornament. Fire trucks clustered as hoses aimed at tongues of flames flicked around the building. Savannah knew she had something special in Foley Graham. Seeing that he did battle against mega-fires, something that seeing put in a whole new reality, Savannah knew she had become involved with a hero. A hot, sexy hero.

She knew that Beau would be agitated by the noise, so she left him in the car. She got out and started asking around.

A kind man looked up at her. “It was Carl Fizzons. They took him to the hospital.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“We all are.”

The man disappeared into the crowd. Savannah hung back from the main activity. It was just by chance that she noted someone in the shadows looking on as well. Who she saw made sense. She didn’t blame this person. It just hurt seeing her. Susan Gretsky. Foley’s ex-wife. The reason why Foley had been in Savannah’s neighborhood in the first place. Savannah’s heart sank right to the pit of her stomach. 

In her mind, it should register all the good things it said that Foley and his ex-wife still had an amicable connection even though their marriage was over. It was the best of all consolations. She could not imagine what it would be like to be in a very deep intimate relationship with a man like Foley Graham and to lose it. She also realized it was not something she wanted to consider -- not that they were there yet. 

Savannah had no idea what happened between Foley and Susan. Her mind tried to do the math, but she really couldn’t come up with anything. She also didn’t know Foley well enough to ask. And for now, she liked him so much she had to set whatever jealousy she felt.

Beau slept at the foot of Savannah’s bed. After he walked around with her to check the doors and windows, and waited as she craned out the window to the guest house. She saw a couple of bikes parked out front. Looked like a couple of Ghosts of the Prairie were on watch.  Savannah changed into her comfiest pajamas and went to bed. 

Part of what let Savannah fall asleep, she realized later, was that some part of her kind of expected or maybe hoped that Foley would be beside her when she awoke. Hopefully, he was crashing in a bed at the firehouse. When she didn’t hear from him all the next day and into the night, that’s what she assumed. That he was resting. She had a strong, deep desire to help him do that. They had come together so quickly that it was probably better if they missed each other for a day or so.