“Daisy,” Dix murmured. “We have to get up.”

 

“What time is it?”

 

“Don’t know, but time to get up. We went back to sleep.”

 

She groaned and stretched. She hadn’t intended to go back to sleep, but the orange glow of the rising sun had been replaced with bright sunshine. She didn’t want to get up, she wanted to stay here and make love to Dix until she was exhausted, then sleep, then do it all again. Riley…the name popped up unbidden and her smile faded. “Yeah,” she groaned and sat up, scratching her head as the clinging tendrils of sleep faded. She sniffed, feeling guilty she’d forgotten about Riley last night and this morning. She fought off the tears by rationalizing there was nothing to be done until now. She leaned over and gave Dix a kiss.

 

The passion of last night and this morning was missing from the kiss and the shadow of sadness once again covered her face. “Don’t worry,” he said softly after she pulled back. “We’ll get him back.”

 

She nodded. “I need a bath.”

 

They quickly bathed and dressed. After dressing he took her by the shoulders and turned her to face him. “What’s wrong?”

 

“Nothing,” she said, but she couldn’t meet his eyes.

 

“Is it something I did?”

 

“No.”

 

“Then what?”

 

She looked up and met his eyes. “I feel like a terrible mother. Here I am, getting my butter churned, and I completely forgot about Riley.”

 

He pulled her in a warm embrace. “Don’t be silly. You have to sleep and eat. There was nothing we could do until today anyway.”

 

She nodded into his chest, but despite his words, the lingering guilt remained.

 

He continued to hold her until she began to squirm. “Let’s have some breakfast then go find these bastards,” he said as he released her. She nodded and he tipped her face up and gave her a gentle kiss. “It’s only been two days. “We’ll find him.”

 

“You promise?”

 

“I promise I won’t rest until we do.”

 

She nodded again, knowing that was a promise he couldn’t keep, but feeling better he gave it all the same. With a small smiled she kissed him quickly on the lips then turned and started toward the door.

 

***

 

“Dix, how are you?” Randy said as he extended his hand. West Coast Performance was their first stop of the morning.

 

Dix shook his hand. “Good, but we need to talk.”

 

Randy nodded. “Right this way. I’m sorry, I’ve forgotten your name.”

 

“Daisy.”

 

Randy snapped his fingers. “That’s right, Daisy. I must be getting old to forget the name of such a beautiful woman,” he said with a grin. “Can I get you two anything? Coffee?”

 

“No thanks, Randy. We just had breakfast,” Dix replied as they entered Randy’s office and shut the door.

 

“Uh-oh. This can’t be good,” Randy said.

 

“It’s not,” Dix began. “As I mentioned Saturday, the Firechrome are going to try to move into the area. The Cutthroats and the town have a pretty good relationship and it works for everyone. If the Firechrome move in…” He let the sentence dangle.

 

“What they typically do,” she said, taking over the narrative, “is they’ll come into town and throw a lot of money around. They’ll either try to buy out an existing business or, failing that, set one up. Then they try to drive the competitors out. They use the business as a cover for other, less legal, operations such as drugs, guns, whatever. They’ll likely start trying to charge protection money by demanding a cut of your business, and if you refuse to pay it, you’ll see a rise in vandalism and theft.”

 

“How do you know all this?” Randy asked her when she paused.

 

“I used to be married to one, remember? He liked to brag about how they’d do just what I described. They don’t have to make money on the business because they’re making it on the drugs until they have pushed everyone else out.”

 

Randy’s face hardened. “And you think they have targeted me as the takeover?”

 

Dix shrugged. “Makes sense. You’re the biggest of the three shops in town. If you fall, the other two won’t be far behind.”

 

“I’m not selling. I built this business from nothing and I’ll be damned if a bunch of thugs are going to take it away from me.”

 

“I’m glad you feel that way. When we’re done here, I’m visiting Steve and Greg, and telling them the same thing. We don’t want the Firechrome in town, and we don’t want the guns, drugs, and violence that follow them. We have a plan to deal with them, but it all depends on you three hanging tough and trusting us.”

 

“What’s the plan?”

 

“A united front. They need a toehold, and I think it’s obvious they’re targeting the speed shops. Makes sense because unlike a restaurant or motel, the clientele is self-selecting. Anyway, if you, Steve and Greg refuse to budge, and I mean a total freeze out, the Cutthroats will watch your backs to make sure nothing happens. We’re also passing the word in town the Firechrome aren’t welcome here, if you know what I mean.”

 

Randy nodded. “I can’t speak for Steve or Greg, but I’m on board. You’ve never given me a reason to not trust you. You keep the, uh, special event out of the town and make sure those here for it understand the town is off-limits for that type of hooliganism, and you help enforce it. It’s been good for everyone.”

 

Dix nodded. “We live here, too, and we don’t want trouble any more than anyone else. What we do out of town is our business, but we don’t shit in our nest.”

 

Randy nodded. “If you need any help persuading Steve or Greg let me know and I’ll try to help convince them.”

 

“Thanks, Randy, I’ll do that. If those assholes show up here again, give them a nice long, in-depth, tour of the place…after you call us. We want to have a word with them, alone.”

 

Randy chuckled. “I can do that. We might have to have an all hands meeting about then, too. The shop will be empty, and that will be a good place to talk to them.”

 

Dix grinned as he rose and extended his hand. “I think we understand each other.”

 

Randy also rose and shook Dix’s hand, then Daisy’s. “I’ll call if they show up again.”

 

“Thanks. I’ll talk to Cale about maybe having someone keep an eye on the place. Maybe we’ll put a word in Chief Buckley’s ear. Let the cops earn their pay for once,” Dix grinned.

 

Randy laughed. “The Chief and I are fishing buddies. I won’t tell him you said that, but I might mention it, as well.”

 

Randy escorted them out as he and Dix talking about inconsequential stuff. She found it surprising that Dix, and the Cutthroats in general, commanded as much respect as they did. People feared the Firechrome, but they didn’t respect them.

 

“That was easier than I expected,” she said as she buckled her helmet.

 

“Randy’s a smart guy. He knows a good thing when he sees it, and he knows bringing a bunch of drugs into town is bad for business. Part of the draw of Douglas is the racers can come here, spend a few days, bring the family if they have one, and everyone has a good time. It’s a good, clean, family friendly town.”

 

“And Douglas doesn’t know what the Cutthroats do?”

 

“They know we help keep the bikers in line, ask them to quiet down if they get too loud or rowdy, and will chase them out of town if they can’t live with our rules. But the racing? No, for the most part, nobody knows, and we want to keep it that way.”

 

“Not even the police?” she asked as she climbed on behind him.

 

“They know, but they have no proof and we’re very careful to make sure they never get proof. But, to be honest, I don’t think they try very hard to shut us down. So long as we keep it off the public streets and confine it to the Green Hell, they tend to ignore us.”

 

“How do you do that?”

 

He smiled. “Easy. You get reported racing, doing wheelies, speeding excessively, anything like that, you’re banned from the race and you forfeit your entry fee. We make it very clear that stuff won’t be tolerated because it brings down the heat on all of us.”

 

She nodded as the Harley rumbled to life, still amazed at the differences between Leo and the Firechrome and Dix and the Cutthroats. Both clubs were engaged in illegal activities, but the Cutthroats made sure to protect the community from their actions. Not shitting in their nest, as he said. As the bike rumbled through town on the way to their next stop, she leaned in and wrapped her arms around Dix.

 

***

 

Daisy stepped off the bike and placed her helmet on the mirror. It was just after three in the afternoon and they were done for the day. Steve Terrill of Terrill’s and Greg Howard at Oregon Motorcycle Performance, or OMP as Dix called it, took a little more convincing than Randy at West Coast Performance, probably because they hadn’t been paid a visit by the Firechrome like Randy had, but they were on board.

 

She was feeling pretty good at the moment. She had enjoyed knifing Leo in the back and him not even knowing it. Revenge is a dish best served cold. She couldn’t remember where she heard the line, but it seemed to fit her mood. He fucked me with Riley and our marriage, and now I’m fucking him with the Firechrome.

 

“Hang on a minute,” Dix said. “Let me go see if James needs help.”

 

He hurried out to James as the massive loader rumbled past with a hulk of a car in its jaws and waved him to a stop. He stepped up onto the loader for a moment, then stepped down again before the machine growled away.

 

“Well?”

 

“I have to go pick up a car later, after the guy gets home from work. You want to go? We’ll get dinner while we’re out.”

 

She thought about it a moment. “Sure, I guess. I thought I would cook or something. Try to earn my keep. Is James going, too?”

 

“No. He doesn’t like to eat out much. He says the rich food upsets his stomach.”

 

“Why don’t you eat with him?”

 

“I do, sometimes, but I don’t want him thinking he has to cook for me.”

 

“You could cook,” she teased.

 

He laughed. “I tried…once. We both agreed it would be best if in the future I just left the cooking to him.”

 

“Maybe I could teach you.”

 

“Maybe, but not tonight. I still have to get the car.”

 

“So what are we going to do in the meantime?” she asked slowly.

 

He smiled, pulled her in close, and brought his lips close to hers. “I have a suggestion,” he breathed.

 

His lips were so close to hers she could feel the caress of his breath. “What?” she whispered as her heart began to speed up.

 

“You still have to learn to drive your car,” he whispered like a lover.

 

She blinked several times, unsure if she understood him, the pushed him back. “You ass!” she chortled. “I thought you were going to say something else. That’s mean, getting me all worked up for no reason.”

 

He chuckled as he kissed her quickly. “That’s for later, when we have more time.” He then leaned in close again. “Tonight I won’t be so tired and I can treat you right.”

 

She flashed hot with his promise. “Oh God. If you treat me any more right I may not be able to stand it.”

 

He smiled and kissed her again, a little more slowly, a little more erotically. “We’ll find out later.”

 

“Okay, do you know what the three pedals are?” he asked as she adjusted the seat.

 

“Gas, brake, and clutch,” she said as she touched each with her foot.

 

“That’s right. You work the gas and brake with the right foot, the clutch with the left. You press the clutch in to stop the car and to change gears. Got it?” When she nodded he continued. “Press the clutch all the way to the floor. Good. Now, here’s first,” he said as his hand covered hers on the shift lever. “Second,” he continued as he pulled the lever back. “Third, and fourth,” he continued, moving the gear stick though the pattern. “Reverse is a little different. Lever goes here, you push down, then over and back. Now you do it. Start in first.”

 

He watched as she rowed through the gears. She had a little trouble with reverse but got it soon enough.

 

“Okay, you’re done. Have fun,” he grinned as he made to get out of the car.

 

“Wait!” she laughed.

 

He chuckled. “Okay, clutch in. Good, now start the car. Keep the clutch in until I tell you.”

 

She started to pump the gas pedal but remembered at the last moment Dix’s warning, then turned the key. The Bug whirled over then growled to life. “That’s way easier than it used to be!”

 

“Yeah. There have been lots of improvements. Okay, reverse.” He released the parking brake and waited until she selected the proper gear. “Now, breathe on the gas as you slowly let the clutch out.”

 

She did as he instructed and promptly stalled he car.

 

“That’s okay. Everyone does that. Try again with a little more gas. Easy!” he warned as she revved the car too much.

 

With a lurch the car started backwards. She backed out into the path then stopped, stalling the car again.

 

“Clutch, then brake,” Dix instructed. “Try again, in first this time.”

 

She stalled the car three times before she got it moving, but with Dix’s gentle encouragement and correction they were off. They puttered around the yard, Daisy shifting into second, then stopping to start all over again. She noticed immediately the brakes worked much better, the pedal not as squishy feeling, and the car had stopped pulling to the left. It also went much better, picking up speed far more quickly than it ever had before. And, best of all, it started every time she turned the key without fuss or bother.

 

At the end of the ninety-minute lesson she wasn’t stalling nearly as often, and could find each gear without having to look at the lever. She wasn’t confident, or smooth, but she was sure with a little more practice, she’d master the car.

 

“We need to leave,” Dix said as they puttered along in third gear.

 

She went around the corner, the little car struggling at the slow speed, so she downshifted to second, let the clutch out too quickly again, which caused the car to lurch, but then began picking up speed again as they growled back toward James’s house.

 

“I think you need to let me drive the truck!”

 

Dix chuckled. Daisy was such a fun and vibrant person when she was focused and not weighed down with guilt and worry. “No, I don’t think you’re ready for that just yet. Get good at your own car first, then we’ll talk about it.”