Chapter Four
JoJo
I rode into stop one, leading a procession of wannabes with a few real bikers mixed in among the hundred riders. I didn’t give a shit why someone rode, but I had no desire to be ringleader of this particular circus. This was Rebel’s show, but he was making Elle his old lady tomorrow, so I’d volunteered to take over. I was kicking myself over that. Big time. I needed to find Archer Logan.
“How ya doing?” I clapped Thorn on the back. He and I had worked together for years in the Brotherhood security business. Now he was sergeant at arms for the club.
“Handed out all my cards, so I’m done. Headed back to the real party.” He gripped my shoulder. “See you later.”
Our Brotherhood parties were a thousand times wilder than the poker run. And our private sandbar would have a nonstop party going all weekend. It wasn’t every weekend we got a new old lady.
“Thanks. We’ve raised ten thousand for the runaway program up in Oklahoma City.” I’d gotten to pick the charity, so I wanted to put our cash where it could help kids.
“That’s a good haul. Nice job, brother.” Thorn headed for his chopper and sped back to our home base. The party we’d planned at each phase of the run was vanilla compared to what went on at our beach. Normally I’d be all over the chance to let loose, but it didn’t appeal today. Not women. Not booze. Not brotherhood. There was only one place I wanted to be. However my phone stayed silent, meaning the prospect hadn’t found shit.
The time passed faster than I expected. The blackjack tables shut down and the keg floated. It was time to ride again. I hopped on my bike and revved the motor, signaling it was time to move on.
At the second stop, we arrived before the boaters. I headed down to where the prospect was stationed to hand out the cards.
“I figured you’d be gone by now.” Lyle greeted him. He was another one of our bounty hunters in training.
“I wish.” It frustrated me that my network was coming up empty. I’d spent time and money creating a net that covered the city’s underworld, not that Oklahoma City was all that grimy. It proved these guys were outsiders, not connected to the scum who made the underworld tick.
I spotted Charlie wading through the water on her way up for a card. She grinned over at her partner, Brie. That was a sight to pay for—her smile. Not to mention her smoking-hot body on display in the blue two-piece she wore. No sadness hung around her now. I liked her happy, wished I could make her happy for a night.
Not a chance of that happening, though. She’d made that clear this morning. Too bad, she was exactly my kind of trouble with those perfect legs, intelligent gray-blue eyes and sassy blond hair.
I stayed next to the kid, wanting another crack at Charlie. She beat Brie to the table and turned to give her friend a triumphant grin.
“You owe me twenty bucks.” She held a hand out to Brie.
“Bite me, bitch.” Brie slapped her hand before pulling a twenty from her cleavage. “JoJo, you better give me a winning hand, she’s sucking me dry.”
“That’s up to Lyle.”
Brie leaned forward and his eyes followed her bountiful cleavage. “You won’t disappoint me, will you?”
Lyle turned red, you could take the kid from the country but not the country from the kid. He had to get that brothers didn’t get embarrassed. Lyle handed her a card without a comment, unlike the smart-ass.
“Stop embarrassing the boy. He could be your son.” Charlie elbowed her partner.
“Fuck you—if I were twelve when I got knocked up.” Brie turned to catch her boyfriend’s eye. “Charlie’s being mean to me.”
“You better kick her ass,” Tom encouraged. “Nothing like a girl fight.”
“Do all men think with their cock?” Charlie quipped. When no one replied, she snorted and headed toward the food.
Each station had a different kind of gambling and refreshment. This one was craps and food. Next was sweets and Texas Hold’em. The fourth one was shots and roulette. The last one was poker and a full bar where people could party while we figured out the winner.
I spotted Danvers and headed his way to get more information on Detective Charlie Pine.
“This is a nice spread.” He nodded to the roasted hog and sides.
“Only the best for our friends.” I filled up my plate and sat at one of the picnic tables we’d brought in. “So, you enjoying the ride?”
“Yup, but can’t say I’m in love with the idea of these idiots drinking and driving.” Danvers looked at the beer littering the tables.
“Gonna have to take off your cop hat or be pissed off all day. The last stop is a free-for-all.” I grinned wide, loving to tweak his moral streak. We’d been deployed together and I knew just how wild he could be. But he’d grown up in the time we’d been out. Not me, but then I never planned to become the kind of man who turned his nose up at a good time.
Danvers grunted.
“Tell me about Charlie.” I nodded in her direction.
“One of my best detectives even though she’s only been in Homicide a few years. Cop is in her blood, her whole family are cops. Two brothers in the state patrol, and the youngest in uniform for us. Her old man retired a few years ago. Good man.” Danvers narrowed his eyes on me. “She’s too good for you.”
“Why the sad?” I ignored his warning.
Danvers looked away. “Her fiancé was shot in the line of duty working a case in sex crimes. Shot by the man he was going to arrest. She’s climbing out of that funk.”
That sucked. I’d lost three good friends in Afghanistan, but none of those hurt as much as losing my little sister. Maybe I should just leave Charlie be, since it couldn’t be easy to recover from that kind of loss. But something about her called to me.
“I hear the warning loud and clear,” I told Danvers.
“And you’ll listen like always, which means not at all.” His former commander gave him the look. The one that said don’t fuck it up. I’d gotten that look a lot since I tended to fuck up. Yet Danvers had never turned on me like the other brass. He’d always had my back, even when my temper got the best of me.
“I’m not good at following orders.”
“Tell me about it. But you’re a damn fine investigator. You track down Logan yet?”
“I wouldn’t be here if I had. Son of a bitch is a ghost.”
“That’s not good.” Danvers grunted. “I hoped you’d turn something up when my detectives didn’t.”
“Oh, I will, even if I have to beat every person in the city.” I stood, restless. “I’m going for a swim. We got about an hour before we leave again.”
The day poked along despite my wish for it to end. I didn’t drink in case I needed to haul ass back up the interstate, and being one of the few sober sucked, especially since the drunk posers kept swaggering around like they were the real deal. I was just in a pissy mood, hell I’d rival Delta for the bad mood title today.
We pulled into the final station as dark descended around us. Rebel showed up to announce the winner after Delta tabulated the results. My duty was almost done, once Rebel placed the cut on his wife’s shoulders tomorrow I’d be gone. Already twitchy, I might not survive the wait.
“You made it to the end.” Rebel gripped my shoulder. “I know this is the last place you want to be. You don’t have to stay.”
“Fuck that, I’m seeing Elle wear our cut...unless something breaks, then I’ll jet even if I miss you claiming her.”
“Can’t blame you for that, I don’t know if I could’ve left the chase.” Rebel grinned at me. “But you’re a good soldier, following orders and shit.”
I flipped him the bird. “The case is cold, even the detectives on the case are down here.”
“Yeah, heard the blonde turned you down cold.”
That bastard Thorn had been telling stories. “Yeah, she’s complicated and I’m...not.”
Rebel laughed. “Nope, believe me, you want to stay away from the complicated chicks.”
“Like you did?” Elle had immersed him in her battle to win Jackson Bonds. It didn’t get more complicated than marrying a chick to save her company.
“Mine isn’t a cop. They’re not flexible.” He squeezed my shoulder.
Was he sending me a message? No cops in our club? Not that I’d listen if the whole club yelled it. They didn’t get a fucking vote.
“She isn’t interested...yet.” I winked at him and walked away. Some things weren’t up for discussion.
My phone rang and I hit the answer button. “Hey, Tiny.”
“I have eyes on your guy. He’s in a dive bar outside of Norman. Text you the address. He and his woman are drinking like tomorrow will never come.” Tiny was a small-time drug pusher who owed me for bailing his ass out of jail even when he didn’t have the ten percent we required. Sometimes I did favors for two-bit criminals to build up my network. Tiny had been a damn good investment.
“You stick to them like glue until I call you back. I got a guy close.” I started walking toward my bike but Rebel stepped in front of me.
“Got it, JoJo. Text me when your guy is here.” Tiny hung up and I stared up at Rebel.
“Where the hell you going?” He frowned at me.
“The Logans were spotted outside Norman at Lucy’s Bar. Sorry, might not make your party tomorrow.”
Rebel grinned. “Get your man.”
I called West and had him head to Lucy’s for backup as I hiked uphill to my bike. Danvers and Delta met me there.
“You get a lead?” Danvers rubbed a hand over his bald head.
“Yeah, they’re outside Norman. I’m heading out.”
Delta nodded to me. “Lock that shit down.”
“No doubts about that.” I wanted my fuck-up dealt with now. Then the police could pound the truth out of him about the robberies.
Charlie jogged up the hill, an expectant look on her pretty face. “Where are you going?”
“Norman.” I flicked a glance at her. She’d changed into shorts and a top but she still wore flip flops, totally useless shoes.
“You have a lead?”
“Maybe, if I get there in time,” I growled.
“Take me with you. I want to bust them, now.”
“Charlie—” Danvers cut in.
“No.” I shot back at the same time, climbing onto my ride.
“Yes.” She stamped her foot.
I gave Danvers a look, wanting him to control his cop, but the ass didn’t say another word.
“You drunk?” I inspected her but she looked sober to me.
“Nope. I can go now.” She moved toward my bike.
“I didn’t invite you. You said never in a million years, when I asked you to ride on the back of my bike.” I revved the motor. “Besides, you don’t have the right clothes to ride.”
She narrowed her eyes on me. “You drive right by my campsite to get out of here, so it’ll take three minutes to change, less time than we’ve argued the point.”
Delta snorted. He agreed with Charlie.
I ground my teeth, ignoring the looks my buddies threw my way. They couldn’t believe I was still here arguing with her when I could’ve already been on the road.
“Fine. Get on.” My cock had taken control of my body. It’s the only explanation for letting her ride along.
Danvers smiled. “Catch the prick, you two will make a perfect team.”
I flipped him the bird and spun out on the gravel path. We stopped for a quick change. When she came out in jeans, boots and coat, I nodded. “We’re going fast, and I don’t have helmets with me.”
“You going to crash?” She cocked her head, challenging me.
“Never. I like my skin.” And I didn’t want it peeled off from the asphalt on the road. It’d suck being on the interstate without them, but I’d survive.
“Good enough for me.” She climbed on behind me. Her warmth heated me up. My skin prickled where her hands grasped my sides. I wanted her small hands to explore all of me, one inch at a time.