Stone
It was a risk. Staying in one place. Connecting with someone. But being with Kara was different. She trusted me, her body responded to me in a way that got me hard just thinking about it. Her body was a fantasy come to life. But it was her mind, her personality, her drive that I wanted just as much.
I knew she’d found her gold coin. Which was great. But I honestly didn’t think she’d find any more. And I didn’t care.
She needed help, and suddenly I needed her body like I needed air.
I was going to have to run again, soon, but before I did I’d fill my senses with Kara and her crazy dreams and her wild island. Memories of her could go a long way when I did get back on the road alone.
After the storm passed and the sun came up, she made some notes about where she’d found her little piece of gold. Then we head back to Gold Cross. Estelle and Frank insisted that I keep docking the Cobalt at their place, and I agreed.
The idea that I wouldn’t have to try to rent a place was genius on Sawyer’s part. Though I wasn’t exactly under the radar, I at least hadn’t left an electronic trail.
Kara took off with her pirate booty, and I noticed a message on my phone to check in with Sawyer. So I went below on the Cobalt and dialed.
“Hey, brother!” It was good to hear a familiar voice. Though the residents of Gold Cross had quickly wrapped me up in their lives, I was surprised to admit to myself. The lone wolf was supposed to be on his own, and here I was up to my neck in town drama.
“Hey, Sawyer. How are things in The Den?”
“I’m assuming you got to my little present.”
“Pretty nice, yes.”
“Thought it would come in handy.”
“She’s a beauty.”
“So here’s the thing, Terry Stabler has gone to the press.” Terry Stabler was the cousin of Barry Stabler, the man I’d killed. Barry Stabler was trying to avenge his scumbag cousin’s death. And it was why I may be in deep shit.
“That’s not good.”
“No, it’s not. So the story is heating up.”
“Shit.”
“It gets worse.” He said, and I braced myself for what worse was going to be.
“They’re asking around the club. No connection to you but there are some witnesses that place M.C. members around that hotel and well. It’s a weak connection but still.”
“Shit. I’m sorry that the club has to deal with it. I will turn myself in if it comes to that.”
“No. Not happening. I just wanted to let you know what’s going down here. Terry Stabler isn’t the only one with friends in the media and in the department.”
“Are you sure I don’t need to step up on this? I don’t want to go to prison, but I will take credit and keep running.”
“No, stay put, stay low, and wear sunscreen. And I’m sending a brother over to check in on you.”
“What? I’m not a kid.”
“No, but you are a Great Wolf. Someone from the Emerald Coast Chapter will be stopping by. Where you hold up?”
“It’s called Pontiacs On The Beach.”
“See, sounds like a vacation. It’s snowing here. Totally sucks. Just toss one back for me.”
We hung up. I wasn’t happy with the news that this was now in the news. Terry wanted to solve the murder of his cousin. My time here truly might be my last taste of freedom.
If the club was really in trouble, I’d be confessing and then heading out of the country, I wondered if that boat could make it to Cuba?
I’d have to check in more frequently with Sawyer and start paying more attention to what was in the news back in Grand City.
If I was going to roll out of town in a hurry at some point, I needed my wheels. As much as a boat to Cuba sounded good in terms of escape I knew it would really be on my bike that I got out of here.
So I checked in with Jason. I needed to know I could go if I had to.
I went over and was shocked at what I found. His shop looked decidedly different. It was a disaster.
Bikes, tools, and gear were strewn all over the place. There were obscenities spray painted on the walls. The neat shop I’d encountered was a mess. It was shocking. I stepped over broken glass and knew I’d shown up in the wake of Butchie again. Or someone like him.
“Jesus Christ,” I said, and it brought him out from the back room.
“Yeah, nice eh?”
“What the hell happened?”
“I was riding out the storm next door and came back to this early this morning.”
“Did you call the cops?”
“No, that’s not the best idea.”
“Why?”
“Well, you met Butchie? He’s the son of the Sheriff and that Sheriff is the law.”
“Did Butchie do this too?”
“Pretty sure yeah, I have a witness who saw his truck out front.”
“What kind of town is this that either the bank or Butchie can terrorize everyone?”
“A town in debt to the bullies. That’s what we got going on.” As much as Kara’s eyes were almost always lit up with dreams and ideas and plans her older brother’s were the opposite.
He seemed smaller today. Sadder. And resigned to letting someone walk all over his business.
“Did my bike make it through the carnage?” I almost didn’t want to ask.
“It did, only a little damage.” We walked over, and the tailpipe was dented in.
“So are you still in business to fix it?”
“That I am. But this is going to put me back. I’m sorry to say. I’d understand if you wanted to pull it out of here and take it somewhere else.”
“Nope, you’re the best that’s what I heard.” I wanted to pay these people. I wanted at least a little money to flow their way.
“You’re helping my sister with her job is what I heard.”
“I have a boat.”
“Yeah, well, I’d threaten you with physical harm if you hurt her, but it doesn’t seem like you’d be too afraid of that.”
“I’d never do anything to hurt her. She’s a special woman.”
“Good, she’s a bit of a dreamer, but we love her for it. And just remember that I may not have your muscle, but I got a crowbar and an attitude.” He was serious as I’d expect any older brother to be. He had to shoulder the realities while she was off playing pirate with their dad. I got how shitty that might have been.
“Understood. I promise I will keep her safe as she looks for animal poop with my boat.” He smiled at that, and I figured we were good.
When I got back to the boat a few hours later with new supplies in hand Kara was waiting.
“You look pretty,” I said, and it was an understatement. She had her uniform of a tank top and short shorts, but she’d put her long thick hair into a bouncing ponytail. God was she a sight.
“Thanks! So I’ve got incredible news. Let’s go in.” And we went into the cabin of the boat. I put away some fresh supplies and let her talk. I never knew if I was going to hear a pirate adventure or a scientific theory but it didn’t matter. I liked the way she sounded.
I unpacked and listened.
“So the piece I found. It was gold.” She whispered it.
“Pirate Gold?”
“Yes, well, maybe. I have a friend at the museum, and I spent the day getting it to him. And getting his opinion.”
“Is that risky?”
“I didn’t tell him where I found it. And besides it’s one small piece. People find arrow heads, forks, and trinkets in the sand here all the time.” I worried that as easily as she’d trusted me, Kara could trust someone else, and it could get her hurt.
“So, when are we headed out again?” I asked her. I promised to be at her disposal, and I meant it. It may not be forever, but at least I’d do what I said for now.
“Uh, can we go again tomorrow? I have work to do in the lab, and then we could have all day. And I have something tonight I have to do.”
“What’s that?”
“Uh, well. I have to go to an event with Kevin Potter as his escort.”
“What?” I felt my fingers curl into a ball. “Why the fuck would you want to spend time with him?”
“I don’t. It’s just the Florida Fish and Wildlife agency does a fundraiser to protect manatees. Kevin promised to donate big if I went to the thing with him.”
“You made a promise to me last night.” I didn’t want her within arm’s length of Potter.
“I know. But I didn’t say I’d give up my life. I just said…”
“You said you’d give your body to me.” And I caged her in the small space. She looked up, and I covered her lips with mine. She was so sweet and tasted so good.
She fell back onto the cushions, and I couldn’t stop. I didn’t want to stop.
“Anytime, anywhere,” I said.
“Now.” She answered, and I dragged her shorts off her. She braced herself as I pounded into her. It wasn’t the gentle of the night before or the exploration. It was me collecting on her promise. I was pissed and possessive and balls deep in her. I grew harder watching her surrender to me.
She moaned and held on to my neck. As selfish as I felt I wanted her to think of this the rest of today. I felt her clench against me and pull me closer with each thrust. I knew she was close. Thank god because I couldn’t slow down. I came fast and explosive, and she did too.
It was petty but I didn’t want her near Kevin Potter, and if she was, I wanted her to be thinking only of me.
I slowed and buried my head in her shoulder. I smelled her hair.
“Anytime, anywhere, anyway I want,” I said again.
“I still have to do this tonight.” She said it quietly, and I knew I was hoping to change her mind.
“Fine.” I was pissed all over again.
“Stone, it’s not like I knew all this was going to happen.” I stood up and damn did I want to kiss her and start up again as I saw her laying on the cushions. Her hair now a tousled mess, her clothes gone. I’d done that, and I wanted to do it again. Now.
But I was pissed and couldn’t quite get over it. I closed off to her. I was punishing her for something that wasn’t really her fault. I did it anyway.
“I’ll be here tomorrow morning. Just like I told you. Have fun on your date.”
She put herself back together and stood up.
“Fine.” She mimicked my attitude and stormed out.
I could have handled that a lot better. I watched as she walked out on the pier and over to the bike shop to the apartment.
She was stubborn as hell. And hot as fuck. This lone wolf gig was getting more tangled every moment.
If Kara was going to be spending the night with Kevin Potter, maybe it was a good idea to find out more about him. He seemed to have everyone under his goddamn thumb. I decided to head back up to the bar. Maybe Frank would share more or Estelle would. At the very least I’d get a little numb.
I pulled up a stool at the bar in Pontiacs as the sun set and watched the place fill up again. I shouldn’t have done it, but I also watched through the window as goddamn Kevin Potter showed up for Kara. I saw her walk down the outdoor steps from her place to the waiting car. My heart was in my throat at the sight of her. She was fucking stunning. I’d never seen her so done up.
She had her hair up and was wearing a dress that hugged her curves. It plunged in the back and was held up but a clasp at her neck. It was some soft peach color, and it looked fantastic with her tanned skin. I turned to Frank and ordered.
“Beer?”
“No, whiskey, straight.” I was in the process of downing it when a dude sat on the stool next to me. He was a brother. His Great Wolves cut unmistakable, and it made me miss mine. I remembered Sawyer said I would get a visitor.
We nodded to each other, and he told Frank, “I’ll take what he’s having and another round for him.”
“Thanks, brother, Stone.”
“Walker. Interesting place here.”
“Yeah, a lot of weekend bikers getting their vacation jollies.”
“So you find everything okay?”
“I did. Was that boat out there your doing?”
“I got it here, but it’s Great Wolves Grand City foot the bill all the way. Sawyer’s your Prez now but I gotta tell you we go back with him.”
“He’s a good man.”
“Hell yeah.”
“So you’re going to be here a while I heard,” Walker asked.
“Probably. You have been in this area a long time?”
“I have.” I decided the safest place to go for good information was a brother. So I gave it a shot.
“You ever hear of a guy named Kevin Potter?”
“Yeah, ran him out of our town near Destin.”
“What do you mean?”
“He’s a banker. He was squeezing all the little businesses we protect.”
“Yeah, that sounds exactly like him. He’s from Gold Cross apparently.”
“So he’d offer good terms then change the deal. When they couldn’t pay, he was telling them to go to the local loan shark. Which was also him.”
“What?”
“Yeah, a guy named Butchie was beating the shit out of our little local guys, saying he was doing it for the loan shark. But in reality, it was all Kevin. That’s when we returned the favor.” It was a perfect racket, and Kevin Potter had run it more than once.
“This sounds really familiar,” I said.
“You’ve got a Great Wolves Security branch in Grand City right?”
“Yep. It’s more in demand every day.”
“Us too, so we kicked Butchie out and let Potter know we were watching over the businesses, and they’d be paying on the original terms.”
“It worked?”
“Yeah, we’re small out there, only a few businesses had trouble. They’re all on the upside now. Much nicer place to be without Potter.”
“Yeah.”
“So why all the interest,” Walker asked me.
“Potter’s doing the same thing here. I did not realize the Butchie connection, though.”
“Yeah, he squeezes and then puts them in a no-win situation. If you need the guys and me to deal with Butchie or Kevin, just holler. We like kicking their asses. We’re not so legit that we can’t spill blood when we need to especially those two.”
“Thanks. I’ll keep it mind.” It was good to know the truth, but it also put me in a spot. Taking on Butchie and Kevin could have me in the spotlight. I did not want the spotlight.
“This is my number. You need anything while you’re in town you call. We’ll be here fast.”
I took the number and Walker, and I decided to enjoy the night. Estelle served up a good meal, Frank a good drink, and the bar was cranking. For a moment, it was like a vacation.
I could forget that I was on the run, and the one woman I wanted was in the hands of Kevin Potter right now.
The same Kevin Potter that the M.C. had already kicked out of another Florida town. I was starting to think laying low was going to get harder and harder.
I knew that I wasn’t going anywhere. I knew that Kara had me. Whatever that meant.
Walker and I enjoyed the whiskey at Pontiac’s, and I tried not to think of Kevin’s hands on Kara.