Mrs. Bowers tugged on the tie around Chuck's neck. He cleared his throat in an attempt to get Thad's mom away from him, and Erikka bit down on her lip to keep from laughing. It'd taken an hour to convince Chuck that the only way he was going to get into the restaurant was if he dressed up. As in a dress shirt and tie, not a new flannel and his leather vest.

Luckily, while she'd waited for Chuck to get dressed, she'd found a pair of brand new black Levi's in one of the baskets downstairs, because the trousers Mrs. Bowers had bought were too tight on Chuck's thighs. Thighs she'd scoped out during one of the many trips into the bedroom to help him get ready. She'd never seen such thick leg muscles on a man who wasn't a bodybuilder or a hockey player, and those men she'd never seen close up, only on television.

"Hold still." Mrs. Bowers stepped away, and a smile came over her whole face. "Oh, Charles, you look so handsome."

Charles? Of course, that was his proper name.

"I'm not wearing no fucking coat." He slipped his finger between the collar of the shirt and his neck and tugged. "I'm going to sweat enough as it is with the tie choking me."

"But, you'll want to fit in." Mrs. Bowers laid the tip of her finger on her chin.

Chuck reached over and grabbed his leather Notus MC vest. Erikka stepped forward and took his vest out of his hands and placed it back on the bed. "A shirt and tie are fine. When I was there with Rachel, most men checked in their coat at the counter. You'll fit right in."

His gaze dropped to her breasts. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach. She'd had Chuck pick up a dress she rarely wore, because of the plunging neckline and the clingy material that hugged her thighs only two inches below her ass. It was something Rachel had urged her to buy and a dress that made her self-conscious since she usually wore jeans and a blouse to work. Her dress wearing days were saved for dates, and lately, she hadn't had much time for anything fun.

He growled low. "Nobody will notice me with you wearing that."

"Was that a compliment?" She raised her brows, unsure of how to take him. He was like no other man she'd ever met. Soft on words and set in his ways, he came across as not wanting to please others and more intent on doing his own thing.

"Yeah," he whispered, leaning to the side and gazing down her body to her toes. "It's...a compliment."

She swallowed the pleasure that came with his admission and the thorough inspection. The whole day thrust her already stressed body into some weird freak show. Exhilaration, fear, excitement, terror, hope, and through it all her body was still able to notice the man in front of her and respond accordingly to pretty words.

Connecting with his gaze again, she inhaled deeply. "This is going to work, right? We'll find out something that will help find Rachel?"

"I'll do my damnedest." He placed his hand on her hip. "We need to get going. Make sure you have your pistol in your purse."

Stepping away from him, she walked out of the bedroom and downstairs. Double checking the contents of her bag, she glanced around at the other Notus members talking quietly in front of the window in the living room. It helped to know they'd be outside of the casino if needed. Looking at them, she couldn't imagine anyone wanting to go up against them.

"Everything okay?" asked Wayne, breaking away from the others.

She rubbed her lips together and stopped. The lipstick she'd put on ten minutes ago would be worn off in no time if she wasn't careful. "Yes, I think so. I'm ready."

"Prepare yourself to be nervous and adjust accordingly." Wayne's gaze softened. "Trust Chuck to take care of you, and stay with him the whole time."

"Okay," she said, studying the president of Notus.

She clutched her purse to her stomach. There was something he wasn't saying.

"Did they find any bugs in the building?" She held her breath. The thought of being overheard, not only when consulting clients but alone, sickened her. What if she'd spoken her worries out loud or talked to her dead father trying to gain wisdom from imagining what he'd tell her to do to save Rachel?

"No." Wayne dipped his chin and kept eye contact. "The inside was clean, and we called someone we know to install a new security system that won't be able to be taken down as easily. By tomorrow morning, everything will be up and working."

She blew out her breath. Tomorrow, she'd need to open the office and work. "Thank you. If you can give me a total for how much I owe you up to this point, I can write you a check."

"Let's not worry about that now." Wayne stepped away, dismissing her.

Mr. Bower, who sat on the couch, smiled at her. "You look very pretty."

Having only met him when he'd brought Mrs. Bowers over with the clothes, she could see a lot of Thad in his father. She smiled back. "Thank you."

If she closed her eyes, she could almost pretend that she was going out on a real date and the biker club members were mutual friends of her and Chuck's. The Bowers were next door neighbors who dropped in unannounced and were welcomed. But, the scenario wasn't real.

Rachel was missing and abducted by a man named Stoddard.

A man named Markham, who was rumored to be hooked into the underground gambling ring, was after Stoddard and had no qualms about going through her to get to him.

Chuck seemed to be her new best friend who was taking her out on a date in the chance of cornering Markham.

There was danger around every corner, and she was barely holding it together.

"All right, let's go." Chuck strolled through the living room, looking a little stiff, a lot uncomfortable, and casting challenges around the room daring everyone to say something because he appeared to want to punch someone in the face because he was not happy about wearing a tie.

It was enough to make her laugh but she couldn't because she'd start crying if she let any emotion out.

On four-inch heels, she walked with Chuck out of the room, through the kitchen, and down the short hallway to the door leading to the garage. Careful of the step down onto concrete, she stopped beside a black Corvette.

Chuck certainly liked his toys.

Since he'd backed into the garage, the passenger door was in front of them. Chuck opened the car. She slid onto the black leather seat and put her seatbelt on before Chuck moved to the other side of the car and got behind the steering wheel. She ran her hand along the leather, liking the way her dress and legs looked against all the blackness surrounding her.

Despite Chuck's white dress shirt, his tie and everything else was black, too. The only brightness was her red heels. Heels that Chuck had picked out and ignored her request for her black heels.

The garage door opened and Chuck pulled away from the house, pushing the button on the control to lower the door. On the street, the roar of motorcycles started. She half-turned in the seat. The Notus members remained on the far side of the driveway ready to go.

"I thought they were coming, too," she said.

"They will." He shifted the car. "In about ten minutes. It gives us time to park and be inside before they take their position away from the casino."

He glanced over at her. His gaze dropped to her dress before he looked back at the road. Her heart hammered her chest. If he kept looking at her, she'd never be able to put up a front of eating. She'd be too nervous.

"What if I make eye contact with the two men that work with Mr. Markham?" She rubbed the outside of her bare thigh. Her goosebumps were making her itchy. "They'll recognize me, and realize I remember them."

"If you do, bring your attention back to me. Far as anyone knows, we're out on a date." He reached over and placed his hand over hers, trapping her fingers against her thigh.

The warmth from his touch only made her antsier. Afraid she was going to screw up the whole night, she closed her eyes and took comfort from his broad, rough hand. She hoped he sat beside her at the restaurant and not across the table from her. If he was near, she could reach under the table and hold his hand if those men come in and spot her.

But, she couldn't ask him to get cozy with her. It was a pretend date for the sole purpose of gaining more information on her sister's whereabouts. She had to stay focused.

Chuck removed his hand. She opened her eyes and spotted the casino ahead of them, two blocks away, in all its flashing lights and the beacon spotlight that always lit up the sky on the south side of town in a wide arc.

"Okay, so, you know what Mr. Markham looks like, right?" She looked at Chuck, and when he nodded, she said, "If he shows up in the room, should I make myself scarce? I won't go to the bathroom or anything, but maybe wander up to the hostess area."

"No."

"I'll just stay at the table while you talk to him." She inhaled deeply, grabbing hold of the quivers tickling her chest.

Chuck pulled into the first parking lot without the valet. "That won't be necessary."

"Then, what am I supposed to do?"

He parked near the sidewalk close to the building. "If Markham sees you, he'll invite us somewhere to talk privately."

"How do you know that?"

He turned off the Corvette. "Because once he believes he's seeing Rachel, then sees it's you in that dress, he's going to want you alone. He'll take us somewhere, probably one of his rooms at the casino, and come up with a bullshit reason to get me away from you so he can have you to himself."

Her throat closed and she leaned away from Chuck and pressed herself against the door. "No, I didn't agree to this. I don't want to be alone with him."

"You won't be. I'm not going to leave your side." Chuck's mouth softened. "But, if he takes us to his room, I will get answers about Rachel."

She swallowed the terror filling her.

He studied her. "Can you do this?"

She nodded.

"Let's go inside." He left the car and was at her door letting her out before she could gather her courage.

He held her hand, guiding her slowly to the front of the building. They'd parked two lots away, and the long walk gave her time to pull herself together. Thankfully, Chuck remained holding her hand and set the pace for a slow stroll.

In front of the automatic doors, the lights flashing and shining stimulated her, while making her disorganized. She gazed around, trying to get comfortable with the layout. From her previous visit so many years ago, she remembered the restaurant being on the second floor of the three-floor building.

"Do you know where we're going?" she whispered, stepping into the lobby.

He lifted her hand and kissed her fingers. "I know the whole layout."

"I thought you've never been here before."

He stopped in front of the elevator and pulled her to him, chest to chest in her heels. "I printed out a map and studied it while Mrs. B tried to torture me into the tie."

She tilted her chin down and looked at his black tie and his beard hiding the knot. "You look very handsome," she whispered.

He grunted. "Better stop that."

"What?"

"Talking sweet," he mumbled as the elevator dinged upon arrival.

She stepped inside, watching Chuck. It was hard to tell if he was flirting with her or acting like the date was real because she could no longer tell if she was trying to get his attention and flirting back.