Seeing Kit dressed down was almost as sexy as seeing her in that sparkly sequin dress the night before. Either way, it didn’t matter—she was a babe, and he was sorry that last night had been their only night together.
“What are you doing here?” Kit asked.
“Came to find out why you bounced.” He eased into the stool next to her. “Thought you might want this, too.” He reached for the wad of bills he’d brought, exactly the amount she’d paid to that inept front desk clerk. He’d been irritated to find out she’d skipped out before he arrived with breakfast, but even more pissed to find out that the dude up front charged her instead of him. He set the stack of bills down on the bar top.
“Uh,” Dipper began.
Kit snorted, looking at the money. “Are you serious?” She grinned at Dipper. “He’s not paying me for sex, just so you know.”
“Okay.” Dipper raised his hands in a mock defense. “Whatever you charge is fine, girl, no judgment here.”
Kit laughed. “Oh please. I’d charge a lot more than a hundred.”
Bastard grinned. “I’d say you’re priceless.”
Dipper made an exaggerated cooing noise in the background as Kit squinted up at him, sending his pulse racing. “Okay. So explain what’s going on here.”
“You left before I got back with breakfast.” He shrugged. “Thought you’d see my note. Just wanted to make sure we were cool.”
She watched him for a few moments. “You left a note?”
He nodded. “Yeah. But I also told the dude last night not to charge you, but that didn’t work out so well.” He grinned, loving the fresh look of her face without all that eye makeup. She was sexy in a whole new way. “Consider this my apology.”
Kit ran her tongue over her bottom lip. “That’s sweet of you. Most guys woulda just bailed and forgotten.”
“I guess I’m not most guys.”
She scoffed, but it didn’t bother him. She probably had plenty of reason to scoff, with a body like hers. “Yeah. Well, unfortunately, I don’t remember enough of last night to vouch for that.”
He creased a brow, some of his relief at seeing her again draining out of him. “What do you mean?”
Dipper wiped down the counters, casting a concerned look at Kit. “You never finished what you were saying.”
Kit fiddled with the clip on the wad of money. “I think I was drugged last night.”
Bastard’s stomach shuddered to his feet, his mind jumping to his worst and biggest fear: did you rape her then?
Bastard knew all about rape. He was the product of one, a little fact his mother made sure he never forgot as long as he lived. Now, as an adult, he could control how much of her vitriol he was willing to absorb. But growing up, it had stained him, left an ugly coating on top, making him wonder, and eventually fear, that he would grow up to become to his father.
Whoever that fucker was.
“Are you sure…” Bastard began.
“I’m positive, actually,” Kit said.
Bastard swallowed a sick knot in his throat. “Who did it?” Do you remember what we did?
Kit sighed, running a hand through her messy dark hair. “Well here’s where the story gets interesting, Bastard.”
Dipper snorted. “Your name is Bastard?”
Bastard shot him a glare. “Yes. Now let her talk.” He focused on Kit again, watching as she unsuccessfully tried to bite back a smile, which made a dimple flare.
“When I got home this morning, there were all these notes on my door. This guy somehow found out where I lived and went there. I’m pretty sure it was the guy who gave me the drink when I met you last night.”
Bastard balled his hands into fists. “Where is he?”
“Easy, tiger,” Dipper said. “We already set a trap for him. No need to go hunting.”
“He’s coming in tonight,” Kit explained. “We called the number he left for us, and—”
“I won’t be here,” Bastard said. It was early afternoon already, which meant he needed to hit the road ASAP. He should have left at eleven, but a certain black-haired beauty had coaxed him into being thoughtful. Except now he wondered if she even knew that they fucked. Maybe she just thought that she woke up in a strange motel after a woozy night. “I want to help you handle this.”
“Where you going?” Kit asked.
“Back to L.A.,” he said. “Leaving soon.”
“Well, we can handle this,” Kit said, looking at Dipper. “He’ll come in, we’ll file a report, and then…” Her voice faltered. “He’ll still know where I live and sleep.”
Dipper tutted, nodding toward Bastard. “You got any room on that bike for Kit?”
Bastard relaxed his fists. Wasn’t such a bad idea, really. “I got enough, yeah. I can make her fit.”
Kit, however, looked indignant. “What, you’re sending me away? With a biker dude?”
“Hey, biker dudes aren’t all bad,” Bastard retorted. “Unless they wanna be.”
Dipper snorted. “Exactly. Anyway, he’s your ride out of town, is all I’m saying. You can go stay with Andi. Make a little getaway of it. And I’ll handle this guy in the meantime.”
Kit’s mouth thinned, her gaze moving between both men. “And both of you think this is a good idea?”
“I think it’s smart to get away from an idiot who’s already stalking you,” Bastard said, “and drugging you.”
“See?” Dipper pointed at Bastard. “He’s got street smarts.”
“As long as you take care of it while we’re gone,” Bastard went on, searing Dipper with a look. The plan wouldn’t work unless there was follow-up on the creep. And Bastard certainly wouldn’t complain about a little extra time with Kit. Even if it meant not repeating what happened last night. Regret licked at him as he replayed some of the hotter memories from their time in the motel. She was drugged. You took advantage of her without even knowing it.
“Trust me. It will be handled.”
“But what about the shows? The band?” Kit crossed her arms over her chest.
“Honey, they will understand. Postponing the gigs for a few nights while we get you safe is worth it.” Dipper returned the cocky look she sent him. “I’ll talk to them. Don’t worry.”
Bastard turned to Kit, lifting a brow. “So, you in for a little road trip to L.A.?”
Kit laughed softly. “I guess so. Majority rule, right?”
“And look, your bag is already packed,” Dipper said.
Kit snorted. “Right. Hardly with useful stuff for a road trip.”
“It’s all right. You don’t need anything anyway. Can’t fit on the bike.” Bastard stood, jerking his head toward the door. “I gotta hit the road. You ready?”
Kit sighed, grabbing her duffel bag while Dipper approached him with a serious look. “If anything happens to her, I will enlist every biker badass I know to bring you down.”
Bastard fought a grin. At least she had a good friend on her side. Too many people in life couldn’t even say that. Bastard had at least a handful, and felt lucky for it. They were all club brothers, too. “Trust me, I have shit to do, places to be. No foul play here.”
“Your name is Bastard, so you can’t be that hard to track down,” Dipper went on.
“Well I’m not in the phone book, that’s for sure,” he cracked.
Dipper sent him a flat look. “I need your number, and wherever your clubhouse is in L.A. Just in case anything happens.”
Bastard made a display of acquiescing, bowing slightly as he rummaged for his phone inside the pocket of his cut. He tapped out a quick message to Dipper after he relayed his number, and then everyone waited for the telltale ping. Bastard gave him the club address in L.A. next while Kit watched the two of them, looking amused.
“Okay, Dad. I think that’s enough now.” She shooed at Bastard. “If we’re gonna hit the road, we gotta do it now. I’m about starving.”
“Drive safely,” Dipper called out behind them. “Kit, fucking text or call me, okay?”
Kit nodded, blowing him a kiss as they headed toward the front door. Bastard waved to Dipper before he pushed out of the bar, the bright midday sun blinding him momentarily.
“Okay. So are we really doing this?” Kit looked up at him, her face betraying uncertainty. He wished he could wipe it off, or make her understand that she could trust him. But can she? If she knew the truth about him, about his past, she probably wouldn’t trust him. Probably would never want to be in the same room as him again if she knew what was in his DNA, much less get on the back of his bike.
“Only if you want to.” Bastard led the way to his bike, which leaned against the curb a few feet away. “I’m heading back to L.A. anyway, might as well take up the free ride.”
She nodded. “Yeah. You’re right. You’re both right.” She swung her duffel bag over her shoulder, sliding her sunglasses down onto her nose. “And now that I got my hard-earned money back, lunch is on me.”
Bastard smiled back at her. “So did you hate me for a little bit this morning?”
“Yeah. Until you showed up and tried to pay me off like a hooker.” She smirked, waiting as he opened up the saddlebags on his bike.
“I don’t make guests pay,” he said. “It was my idea, anyway.”
She nodded slowly, confusion clouding her face. “Okay. I was wondering about that.”
Fuck. She doesn’t remember a damn thing. He’d taken advantage of her, pure and simple. “Well, you were tired. I thought it would be poor form to ask you where you lived. Thought you might be weirded out by it.”
She shoved her duffel bag inside the leather satchel, and then peered up at him. His own refection stared back at him in the glinting lens of her glasses, and he saw the sincerity in his face. It surprised even him.
“Yeah, I woulda been. And then it turns out, someone else showed up uninvited anyway.” She shook her head as he eased onto the bike.
“You ever ridden before?”
“Not one like this.”
Bastard nodded. “Get on first, then I’ll start it.”
Kit approached nervously, sliding hesitantly onto the back seat. She clutched at the sides of his cut, crinkling it in her fists. “Okay.”
“Closer.” He jerked his head forward. “Don’t want you falling off.”
She cleared her throat, scooting closer until their bodies touched. The heat of her legs around his back warmed him, made desire zip under his skin. “Okay, ready.”
He shook his head. “Wrap your arms around me.”
She did as she was told just as he started the bike, the engine roaring to life. She inhaled sharply, her grip automatically tightening. Her body formed a seal against his.
“Now don’t let go,” he said over the guttural engine. “What do you wanna eat?”
Kit grinned devilishly, like a kid with a secret. Her face from this close made his chest tighten. She was gorgeous, that much was plain. But more than that, something about her made him desperate for more. Being inches away from her sated as much as it provoked. Made him want to kiss those lips again, feel the velvety tightness of her pussy wrapped around him.
“I want waffles,” she said, jarring him out of his reverie. “You down for that?”
He shrugged. He’d take her anywhere she wanted. Hell, he’d even choke down shit he didn’t like if that’s what she decided to eat. “I’m game.”
He backed the bike up a bit, liking the way her thighs locked around him. When he revved the bike and took off down the tree-shaded street, she let a little squeal that rippled through him.
He’d been on plenty of road trips in his life, but already he knew this was gonna be the most interesting one yet.