Chapter Nine
Paco watched Lila swaying her hips as she sauntered toward him. She was a pretty woman and he should be all over her, but the only woman he had on his mind was Misty. When he’d seen her at Satin Dolls, he’d been shocked but inexplicably excited at the same time. When she ignored him after they’d spoken briefly on the back patio, he’d been pissed and decided he was done with whatever was going on between him and her. But sitting at the bar, her sad eyes burning a hole in his mind, he knew he couldn’t forget her that easily.
I gotta get the fuck outta here. Paco couldn’t stand to pass the night in Silverado knowing Misty was so close. He didn’t want to keep thinking about her and why the hell he cared. He needed the cold air whipping around him to numb his thoughts, needed to put distance between her and him.
Before Lila reached him, he slid off the stool and went over to Steel, who was leaning against the wall with a beer in his hand.
“Hey,” Steel said.
“Hey. I’m gonna head back to Alina unless you need me here.”
His eyes widened. “Really? Is everything okay?”
Paco drew in a long breath and exhaled. “I just got some shit going on in my head that I need to clear away. A good ride always does the trick.”
“I hear you. Roughneck’s calling church tomorrow morning. I’ll fill you in on what goes on. From what I saw at the club, Los Malos Gang is all over the strip bar, even though they’re based in Pueblo and Colorado Springs. The fucking punks in West Avenue Bandits are just their front. The dumb shits don’t even know they’re being used. Los Malos’ handprints are all over the drug trade that’s starting here. And they’re trafficking women. Too many underage ones at the club tonight that didn’t seem like they wanted to be there.”
“I agree. West Avenue Bandits are just a bunch of punks who want pussy, drugs, and booze. Los Malos is calling the shots. I saw a lot of assholes with the number twenty-five tatted on them. They need to be shut down.”
Steel’s face grew taut. “I don’t think Roughneck gets how serious this is. He and his brothers think this is about a strip joint and some drug buys, but we know it’s just a matter of time before they start moving into Alina and the surrounding area. We gotta stop it.”
“Yeah, I don’t think Roughneck gets how important it is to act fast.”
“That’s what I’ll discuss tomorrow with the Fallen Slayers. If they don’t step up to the plate, we’re gonna have to go in without them.”
“Chains said they’ve got a lot of members between the two cities. We’re gonna need some help from the Insurgents if the Fallen Slayers don’t agree with us. I know Banger and his brothers aren’t gonna want these assholes claiming biker territory.” Paco took out a couple of joints and handed one to Steel.
Steel lifted his chin. “I’ll give you the heads-up when we come back. I want an emergency church called.”
Paco nodded and reclined against the wall as he watched men and women dance, drink, and screw. He stubbed out his joint, clasped Steel’s shoulder, and made his way downstairs to pack up his stuff.
Darkness surrounded him. On that moonless night, the stars were somewhere behind the haze of black clouds stretching thinly above. Paco zipped the saddlebag onto the mount and started his bike. After wrapping his scarf around his neck, he pulled away from the clubhouse.
About fifteen minutes into the ride, when he was leaving the edge of town, he saw a figure walking on the side of the road. Immediately he stiffened. It wasn’t common to see someone on the road at three thirty in the morning in a small town on a cold night. Adrenaline rushed through him as his senses heightened. Slowing down, he eased his foot off the accelerator. The person scurried away into the brush.
Paco stopped, opened his jacket, and slipped his hand inside his cut, taking out a 9mm. Nothing. The only sounds were the occasional hoot from an owl and the wind rustling through the trees. There was no sign of the person, but he sensed someone was watching him. More rustling, but it didn’t sound like the wind. Lizards? Jackrabbits? I doubt it.
For many minutes he sat on his humming bike, gun in hand, scanning the area. Nothing. No one. Deciding it could’ve been a drifter, he pulled in the clutch and released the throttle.
As he rode away, the figure darted out from behind a large piñon pine tree, screaming, “Stop!”
Stopping short, he raised his gun at the approaching figure that had a blanket draped around it. From the size and shape, he was pretty sure it was a woman. When she came closer, her haunting eyes captured his and he lowered his gun. Without any questions, he got off his bike, took the plastic sack in her hand, stuffed it into one of the saddlebags, and then got back on his Harley.
He jerked his head back. “Get on.” Misty scrambled onto the seat behind him. “Wrap and tuck the blanket under your legs.” She complied then hooked her arms around him. He throttled the engine and pressed down on the gear shift as they rode toward the highway.
The cold air stung his eyes as they sped toward Alina. He was acutely aware of Misty’s head resting on his shoulder, her tits pressed against his back, and her arms snug around him. He tried to focus on the road, but having her so warm and close to him was doing things to his dick that he didn’t like. Finding her walking in the dark with a blanket wrapped around her shaking body was something he’d never figured would happen. It seemed like a force kept pushing her into his life. He wasn’t sure he believed in fate, but it struck him as more than a coincidence that he’d bumped into her in the most random places.
Paco leaned into the curve and she held him tighter. He liked the way she felt behind him. He’d taken plenty of women on rides on his Harley over the years. When he’d first got interested in motorcycles, he’d been in high school, but he couldn’t afford to get one. He and Kendra had been living with his mom’s sister after their dad was arrested for hacking up their mom, and his aunt and uncle weren’t too pleased to have two more mouths to feed on an already tight budget.
When he hit eighteen, he and a couple of his buddies got a place to live in town, and he found a better job at the local bowling alley. That’s where he and Cassie had met. She worked concessions and he worked on the machines. They’d fallen hard for each other very fast, and they’d been inseparable. When he’d bought his first Harley, it was used, but he’d taken it out every chance he got, Cassie pressed next to him most of the time. Those had been good times, and her love for him had helped ease the pain of losing his mother.
A bump in the road made Misty’s hand land on his dick. Instead of moving away, she kept it there. Shit. When he’d take Lucy or Ruby for bike rides, they’d tease his cock while he rode until he’d have to pull over and have them satisfy him. It was all in good fun; it didn’t mean anything. He never once feared losing himself to any of the women, but Misty’s hand on his dick was different. She made things he kept buried deep inside him stir, and he didn’t like or want that. He reached down and slid her hand up. I’m not going there with this one.
In the distance, the lights of Alina glittered like a swarm of fireflies. Instead of going through the town, he opted to take the back road to the clubhouse. Soon he pulled in front and cut the engine.
“We’re here,” he said, and Misty’s arms left him. He waited for her to get off before he did. Unzipping both saddlebags, he held them in his hands and went around back. He heard her footsteps crunching on the gravel behind him as he took out his keys and unlocked the back door. It was dark and quiet inside the club.
“I can’t see too well,” she whispered.
He handed her one of the satchels and then opened his lighter. Darkness turned into grayness, and he went upstairs with her close behind him. After opening the door to his room, he motioned for her to go inside. With her head down, she brushed past him and stood in the middle of the room, shifting from foot to foot.
With his boot, he closed the door and crossed the room to switch on a lamp on the nightstand. When he threw the keys down on the dresser, she jumped and glanced up at him. “Have a seat.” He pointed to the chair by the window. She went over to the desk and pulled out the wooden chair.
Sitting down, she twisted her hair around her hands over and over. With eyes cast down, she licked her lips, then cleared her throat.
“You want something to drink?” he asked, walking over to the mini fridge across the room. He pulled out a can of Coke and handed it to her.
She popped open the top and took a sip. “Thanks,” she said softly.
“You gonna tell me why the fuck you were walking around with a blanket wrapped around you in the middle of the night?”
For a few seconds the room was quiet, but then she sighed loudly. “Not much to tell. I had enough. I had to get away from Bobby.” She took another sip.
Paco watched her as she sat hunched over in the chair, the blanket practically swallowing her. As if sensing his scrutiny, she fidgeted in her seat. The soft light from the lamp bathed her hair in a golden glow, making it shine like melting dark chocolate.
Silence stretched between them, and then, very slowly, she raised her eyes to his, and he sucked in his breath. Those smoky black eyes rimmed with long dark lashes seemed to draw more of him in every time he looked into them, captivating him. Dangerous. Intriguing. Beautiful. Unspoken emotions passed between them, and without thinking, he walked over and caressed her cheek, touching the corner of her eye. A hint of desire danced across her face as she closed her lids, her lashes sending sparks across his fingers. He jerked his hand back and moved away.
“You can crash here.”
“Do you live here?” she asked softly.
“Yeah. I’ll sleep in the recliner. We can talk about shit in the morning. It’s late and I’m beat.” He opened the top drawer of his dresser and took out a T-shirt. Holding it out to her, he said, “You can sleep in this. Did you bring any of your stuff?”
“Not really. Just my toothbrush, comb, makeup, and some clothes. Whatever I could put in the plastic bag.”
“We can deal with that later. The bathroom’s over here.” He opened the door next to him, then went over to the recliner and kicked off his boots.
Clutching the T-shirt, she went toward the bathroom, then stopped and looked over her shoulder. “Thanks for helping me out, Paco.”
“Sure. Now get changed so I can turn the damn lights off.” He pulled his shirt over his head and unbuttoned his jeans. When she closed the bathroom door, he slipped on a pair of sweats and plopped down on the recliner. He didn’t believe her story for one second. Something had happened that triggered her to run away in the middle of the night.
The bathroom door opened and she walked over to the bed. The way his T-shirt fell over her curves sucked him in immediately, making his cock thicken. Fuck. He was pretty sure that if he joined her in bed she wouldn’t complain, but he didn’t want her to fuck him because she felt obligated. He didn’t want to get involved with her anyway. She wasn’t a club girl, and the way she looked at him ensnared him and made his mind fall down into emotions he’d long buried, swearing he’d never resurrect them. I’ll give her some money and then send her packing tomorrow.
“Did you want me to switch off the light?” she asked, pulling the covers down.
“Yeah.”
The only light filtering in through the blinds was from the outside security lights that a raccoon or coyote had triggered.
“Good night, Paco.”
He grunted, feigning drowsiness, but his body was as awake as if he’d drunk a gallon of coffee. For a long while he stared at her outline, listening to her breathing as it became deeper.
What the hell did I get myself into?
For reasons he couldn’t articulate, it felt right having her in his room.
Don’t go there. You gotta send her away.
With that thought on his mind, he closed his eyes.
* * *
The metallic clatter of pots and pans and the aroma of bacon and pancakes wafting up the stairs woke Paco up. Weak threads of sunlight seeped in through the blinds, and he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, trying to bring things into focus. Glancing at the bed, he saw Misty burrowed under the covers, her torso rising and falling systematically.
Standing up, he stretched as he tried to loosen the kinks in his muscles. He went over to the bathroom and closed the door. When he came out, a green towel around his waist and water trickling down his shoulders from his damp hair, he saw Misty standing by the opened window. A fresh breeze softly blew in.
“Did you sleep good?”
She turned to him, her cheeks rosy, eyes sparkling, and a wide smile on her face. “I haven’t slept so well in years. It’s amazing how wonderful it feels.”
He laughed. She seemed so innocent on one hand, but on the other, she seemed so worldly. He suspected she’d lived and seen more of the seedier part of life than most of the women he knew. “So what’re your plans?”
All at once, her face blanched, and he was sorry he’d asked the question. Raising her shoulder up and down, she shook her head. “I don’t know. I didn’t really think anything through.”
“You got any money?”
She shifted her gaze from him to the corner of the room, then shook her head.
His gut told him she was lying, but he figured she couldn’t have too much money since she had a pimp and they weren’t known for being generous. “You can stay here for a few days until you figure it out.”
She moved her gaze back to him. “Are you sure? I mean, aren’t there other people living here, like your roommates?”
He chuckled. “The other guys will be cool with it. They aren’t exactly my roommates, but for citizens it may seem like that.”
“I’m not sure what you’re talking about. Who are citizens?”
“You and anyone else who isn’t a biker. Anyway, don’t worry about the guys. Get ready and come down when you’re done. I’m gonna talk to some of my brothers and get something to eat. Smells like Lena’s making bacon and pancakes. She always makes breakfast burritos too, so you’ll have a choice.”
“Who’s Lena?”
“Our kickass cook. She makes the best food.”
“You have a cook? Wow.”
“It’s not what you’re thinking. Come down when you’re ready to have some chow.” He dropped his towel and slipped on a pair of jeans over his boxers. Taking out a clean T-shirt, he tugged it over his head. He felt her eyes on him as he dressed, and it turned him on. Pulling his boots on, he glanced up at her. And just as he thought, she was looking at him; she met his gaze. A flirty smile danced on her lips. He winked at her and walked out. His dick was pissed as hell at him, but he’d told himself he wouldn’t get involved with her. He couldn’t afford to.
As he walked down the hall, he remembered his wallet. He had a wad of cash in it, and even though he didn’t want to think he couldn’t trust her, he wasn’t stupid. She was broke, and her job was hustling guys. Turning back, he went to his room and opened it. Misty stood by the bed, naked. Her back was facing him, and the angry red streaks marking her body took him aback. Fuck. Her pimp did a number on her.
As if sensing he was in the room, she spun around, grabbed the T-shirt on the bed, and held it in front of her. “You startled me. I thought you left.”
“I forgot something. Who the fuck hurt you?”
“No one. I mean, it wasn’t punishment. It was a paid job.”
“Did you want to do it?”
“I just told you I got paid.”
“That doesn’t answer my question. Is that what you wanted to do?”
“The money was good. I’m going to take a shower now. I’ll meet you downstairs.”
“Is that why you ran away?”
“No.” She walked into the bathroom and closed the door.
Paco scrubbed his face. He was going to find out what the fuck was going on with her. Opening the dresser drawer, he grabbed his wallet, tucked it into the inner pocket of his cut, and walked out of the room.
“I thought I saw your bike in the lot. What the hell are you doing back so early?” Shotgun asked as Paco entered the main room.
“I didn’t like the club being without a prez or VP for the whole weekend.” He pulled out a chair and plopped down.
“How’d it go over there?” Skull picked up a strip of bacon.
“We got trouble with the assholes. The Fallen Slayers aren’t really getting how serious it is. Los Malos is all over this. The West Avenue assholes think they’re still in charge in Silverado. Steel’s gonna call an emergency church when they all come back.”
“How was the strip club? Army texted me some pics. It looked like something you’d see in Denver,” Skull said.
“It was okay. Too many underage girls not wanting to be there. That’s the first thing we gotta get rid of,” Paco answered.
“Fuckers,” Skull replied.
A low whistle from Cueball turned Paco’s attention to the hallway, and he saw Misty coming into the main room. “Who the fuck’s that? I didn’t see her last night.” He sat up straight in the chair.
“I would’ve remembered that one,” Skull said.
“Back off. She’s with me.” Paco lifted his chin at her and she made her way over to his table.
Shotgun laughed. “That’s why you came back early. Wanted some alone time with some new pussy you picked up in Silverado.”
Paco bristled. “It’s not like that. I’m just helping her out.”
“And she’s buying your crock of shit?” Cueball chuckled.
“Hi,” Misty said softly as she stood by Paco.
“These are some of my brothers.” He pointed at each of them. “Shotgun. Skull. Cueball. You want some grub?” The brothers smiled at her, then started talking among themselves. Since she was with him, they’d respect her.
“Sure. Did you eat?”
“I was waiting for you. Let’s go in the kitchen and get something.”
When they came back to the table, Cueball and Skull had joined four of the club women on the couch. Paco saw Lucy and she smiled at him, even though her eyes were fixed on Misty.
“I’ll be right back,” he told Misty, then went over to Lucy. “A friend of mine’s in trouble, so I’m helping her out. Do you have any clothes she can wear until she gets some new ones? She needs a heavy jacket and maybe some other things.”
Lucy looked over his shoulder at her and shrugged. “Send her to my room later on and I’ll figure it out.”
“Thanks.” He squeezed her hand and went back to the table.
“Is that your girlfriend?” Misty asked.
“No. She’s a friend.”
“She’s not acting like a friend. She’s giving me all kinds of dirty looks. Reminds me of Crystal and Amber Jade.” She took a bite out of her burrito.
“She’s one of the club girls. They’re territorial with the brothers. They live here with us, and they’re not so accepting of a new girl staying in their space.”
“So she’s gonna give me some shit?”
“No. She knows you’re with me. After we eat, she’s gonna loan you some clothes. You know better what you need than I do.”
“What’s a club girl?”
“A woman who helps out around here and makes the guys’ lives easier.”
She glanced over at Lucy, then back at him. “I see. So they’re whores. Are they here ’cause they wanna be?” She took a sip of orange juice.
“Of course. No woman’s forced to do anything. We don’t do that shit. And they’re part of the family around here. If they don’t wanna do something, they don’t have to.”
“How many you got living here?”
“Six.”
“Not a bad deal. They get free room and board. Do you give them money, or do they work outside of the club?”
“We make sure they have what they need. Each of them gets a monthly stipend, but if they want to work outside of the club, it’s cool as long as it doesn’t interfere with club parties and such. If it does, then we ask them to either quit or leave.”
“Makes sense. You need another club girl?”
At first he thought she was joking, but the earnest expression on her face told him otherwise. There was no way he’d ever let another brother touch her. “No.”
“Too bad. It sounds like a good gig.”
“What’s your story, Misty? It doesn’t seem to me that this life was your idea. Was Bobby forcing you to do it?” Her eyes narrowed, as if in confusion, and she pursed her lips. “You not answering tells me he was.”
Her hands flew up in a defensive stance. “I didn’t say that. You did.”
He tilted his head and paused. She doesn’t trust me. “I know you don’t really know me, but there’s no way I’d hurt you. I’m not gonna send you back to your fucking pimp—”
“Bobby’s my boyfriend.” She looked away.
“Fuck that. He’s your pimp. I’m not stupid, sweetheart. I’m hoping in time you’ll trust me enough to tell me how the fuck you ended up with that sonofabitch.”
She pushed her plate away. “Well, you’re right about one thing—I don’t know you. And I’m not in the habit of spilling my guts to anyone, even if there was something to tell.”
“You wanna go see about some clothes in Lucy’s room?”
“So you’re changing the subject?”
“No point in talking about it when I know you’re lying. Are you ready or not?”
“Are you coming up with me too?”
“No. I have some club business I need to do.”
“Oh,” she said softly. Her shoulders slumped and she lowered her head.
Threads of empathy weaved through him, and he wanted to pull her to him and kiss her gently. He wanted to tell her that she didn’t have to be afraid, that she could trust him with all her dark secrets, but he just got up and called out to Lucy.
I can’t get too involved.
But he already was.