I rolled up on the Harley at five in the morning to find Phoenix waiting under a streetlight with a whole bag of sass.
“You’re late, Slade.”
It’s never too early for a bit of ‘tude from Firebird.
“Good morning to you, too, Firebird.” I throw her a pearly smile for good measure.
I hand her the helmet. Her ash blonde dreads are covered under a colorful bandana she favors as she slips the helmet over them, grabs hold of my shoulders, and throws her leg over, getting comfortable behind me. She’s got a nice, thick leather jacket on, keeping her warm from the frosty air.
I don’t want to goad her too much at this time in the morning, but hell, she brings it out of me. I’ve missed her sass.
She slides her hands onto my hips. If my dick could, it would be smiling. I need to get myself another bike; I like having her behind me like this. “You know you can snuggle in a bit more. I can’t bite you while I’m riding.” With that comment, I bet she’s shaking her head and I hear the softest laugh.
We take off, and I switch on the passenger communication so we can talk. I know she’s curious about me needing her help. I let the bike have its wings on this quiet stretch of road, my speed increasing as it roars to life in appreciation to be moving again.
“So, Firebird, what do you think about Alaska this time of the year?” Wait for it...
“Don’t call me Firebird.” And there it is, that little bag of sass already opened up. I’m grinning away, because I love it when she gripes about the nickname I gave her. “Slade, you got trouble?”
“Helping a good friend out.” I need to explain everything to her, now that I know the first part of the plan Edge and the men sorted out.
“I gather we’re not riding all the way to Alaska?”
That’s my girl, she doesn’t waiver when I land her with Alaska. She just wants to know how we’re getting there. “Nope. Getting a flight later on. We’re heading to Crowley now to Freedom on Two Wheels, a bike repair shop, to meet up with the owner, Billy, who I understand you’ve already met.”
“I have. Nice guy.” She holds on a little tighter when I take the corner a little sharply at the last part of her reply.
“Some Lion’s Den MC will be waiting for us in Anchorage, along with some Soulless Bastards. I don’t know how much you were told about Joy’s assault, but the same men who came and helped Billy keep Joy’s assault quiet at Coyote Cooter’s are gonna be waiting for us in Anchorage. How’s Joy?”
“She’s a survivor.”
“How’s Levi?”
“He’s on his way to a happily ever after.”
I smile at this, because Phoenix sounds a little wistful. I want to tell her I can give her what she needs, but that is for another time. We’ve got a job to do.
“Also the men who killed the nomads who attacked her are gonna be there too.” From the little noise she just made, she didn’t know the bit about the nomads getting offed. “Billy may have been... nice”—can’t help how jealous that one word has made me—“but these are dangerous men. Don’t forget that, Firebird.” In hindsight, do I really want her around them?
“You need me, because…?”
I need you for a whole lot of reasons, darlin’.
“I’ll get to that in a minute. Once we get to Billy’s workshop, we’ll sit tight, have a bite for breakfast, and you’ll play hairdresser to Billy.” And here comes the punch line. “You know how Joy Parker was nearly taken in Fort Worth?”
“Yes.”
“Well, there’s more. A twenty-one-year-old named Whisper was successfully abducted a few weeks ago from Connard, Louisiana. She means something to my good friend Edge, one of the Soulless Bastards, and her family needs her back safe and sound.
“Everybody on the team going into Anchorage is getting a makeover. Everybody is either looking like a businessman or hipster. I think hipster is more achievable, with their beards and tattoos. Nobody can be going in looking like a biker. Everybody is prepared to strip out of their cuts and talk the talk, and we have to walk the walk.
“We’ll shop at the airport. We need to get rugged up for the cold temperatures in Alaska and dress for the part we are gonna play on the flight. The others are all heading out on two flights later this morning, and we’ve got a lunchtime flight. You’re gonna be the only female among these men.”
Christ, I’m gonna talk myself out of bringing her.
I proceed to tell her on the short ride to Crowley about what she’s in for. And yeah, she snuggled in a little closer when she heard about Whisper. She just didn’t realize it.
Retro is gonna try to kick my ass from one side of OB to the other when he finds out I brought his sister in on a mercenary mission with a bunch of men who play by their own rules. But I know she’s trained, badass, and can handle what gets thrown at her. Phoenix knows how to pull bodyguard duty if Whisper requires it from Edge. It will take a strong woman to put Edge in his place, if it means protecting Whisper until she is ready.
***
We’ve landed in Anchorage, and it didn’t go unnoticed the flirting Billy was doing with Phoenix on the flight over. He was thoroughly enjoying himself, but fuck that, she’s mine.
I did have a great sense of pride when Phoenix told him all about her PI business, Mack and Cooper Investigations. I think that enamored him even more toward her, knowing she was not only sexy, but she could back it up with a whole lotta badass.
I had a whole nine hours of this in-flight entertainment on top of watching him press the back of his head up against her chest when she was giving him his hipster makeover—hair trimmed and ZZ Top style beard fully tamed. Then she assisted him with his clothing selection. I only have myself to blame. I suggested she cut his hair.
Then I had to put up with him complimenting her with her clothing selections while calling her “doll face” every few minutes.
I was going in as the businessman. Don’t have a beard, not full of tats. Only have the one on my chest. I was suited up and I caught the appreciative look in Phoenix’s eyes on more than one occasion. And I liked it.
Thankfully, Phoenix is a super quick shopper, and Billy pretty much bought the few extra suggestions she added to his new suitcase before we got on the flight. Airport shopping—you can buy anything.
I left Edge’s bike at Freedom on Two Wheels, and we waited out front for the ride he hooked up for us with an old guy named Denver, who’s Joy’s grandfather, to Dallas Airport.
He looked Billy up and down, grunted something that had Billy smiling out the corner of his mouth when he saw the new less hairy transformation, and didn’t say much more. He then helped us lift our backpacks out the back of the truck at the drop off zone. He looked over at Phoenix and me, shook our hands, told us to get the bastards who orchestrated what happened to his granddaughter, and then got back in his truck and drove off.
Odd man, but I liked him.
I herded us inside a cab, making sure Billy was deposited in the front seat, while Phoenix was in back with me.
I’d only met the guy this morning and I liked the man, but I was trying to persuade him with territorial actions—she’s mine—while she did her best to falsify everything I was putting out in front of him by simply being herself, independent.
I think in the end, we highly amused the guy. Now it’s time to sit back and prepare myself for the bunch of bikers I need to somehow prove in front of that she’s mine, without Phoenix contradicting me.
Or it would be open season.