Chapter 10

––––––––

The phone rang at the bar. Clara finished putting the drinks down in front of the customers in booth two and hurried to answer.

"Hello, you've reached Vavoom's." She picked up two empty glasses off the counter and put them in the dirty dishes tub beside the kitchen door.

"Clara?"

Recognizing Wayne's voice, her back bent in relief. "Yes, it's me. How are you?"

"Tired." His husky voice backed his claim. "I don't have the number for your cell phone, so I thought I'd call you at the bar."

"It's okay," she said.

"You're not busy?"

She looked around the half-filled room. "Not too bad. It's Monday night, so any customers coming in is a good thing. We've decided that starting next week, we'll be closed on Mondays and Tuesdays since most of our business is done Friday through Sunday."

"That's good, sweetheart. You need a break," he said, his words getting slower the more he talked.

She wanted to ask him what was going on with the missing girl. The first thing she'd done upon arriving at work was scour the newspaper looking for any update. At noon, an Amber Alert had come over her phone, and she wondered what had taken so long to send out the news. The girl was only seventeen years old.

"I was wondering..."

The hoarseness of his voice held a powerful, seductive quality that made her want to be with him right now. She swallowed. "What?"

"Will you bring over a burger and fries after work?" asked Wayne.

"I..." She looked at the clock above the bar. The bar closed in an hour and fifteen minutes. If she hurried, she could still catch Paxton before he closed the kitchen. "Sure. I'll bring you food. Is anyone else with you who needs to eat?"

She wrinkled her nose at her hedging. Good at reading other people, she was pretty sure he didn't have a girlfriend, but that could only mean he dated other women, or slept with them. At this point, she had no idea if their night together was a one-time hookup or if he planned to see her again.

"No, the other guys left a few minutes before I called you." He yawned. "I need to work in the morning, but I haven't eaten since I grabbed a sandwich out of the vending machine in the office at work. We've been out searching since we clocked out this afternoon."

"I've got my car and will bring it right over as soon as the last customer leaves. Will that be too late?" She caught Gracie's gaze and waved her over.

"No, that's fine. But, sweetheart?" He paused. "Bring Gracie. You two need to stick together after work. You shouldn't be out alone at that time of the night, and I'm an asshole for asking you to bring me food. I really want to see you. That's why I called."

Goosebumps covered her arms. "Okay. We'll hurry, but we'll need to close up first."

"I'll be here."

"Okay." She reached out and caught the back of Gracie's shirt, keeping her behind the bar. "See you then. Bye."

She pushed the disconnect button and placed the phone receiver back on the charging pad. The late night would only be harder on him in the morning when Wayne had to get up to go to work.

Gracie set down her tablet on the counter. "What's going on?"

"That was Wayne." Clara held the back of her hand to her forehead. "He wants me to bring him a burger and fries."

"Now?"

Clara nodded. "He's been out searching for the missing girl since he left work and is tired and hungry."

"It's a good idea to take him food." At Clara's shocked look, Gracie shrugged. "I'm just saying. Since he's interested in you, it works out better for both of us. You have to admit, it's better than when we'd planned to get close to the whole motorcycle club and use their routine of showing up at the bar to be around them."

"I know. I know." Clara blew out her breath. "He wants you to come with me after we close. He made it sound like it wasn't safe for me...us."

Gracie frowned. "Do you think he's found a connection to us already?"

"No. I think Wayne sincerely cares about our safety, which makes me feel guilty." Clara stepped back. "I need to put the order in with Paxton before he shuts down the kitchen. Let's try and get the customers out the door without being obvious. Maybe we can close a few minutes early."

After getting Wayne's order into Paxton before he left and dealing with the customers, Clara's second wind came with an obvious statement. She was happy Wayne sought her out after the day he put in and the more important matters at hand.

The next hour went by fast in their hurry to close the bar. Clara worked through her thoughts, mentally pushing herself to be realistic. Something that was hard for her to do when her emotions were involved.

Now was not the time to have a relationship with Wayne and yet they had a mutual interest. An interest that Wayne remained clueless about and would be revealed later. Not for the first time, her stomach rolled in doubt for her part in the problem. It was apparently clear that she was damaging any hope of getting to know Wayne better, and dousing her desire to continue spending time with him romantically.

That sucked.

Gracie locked the front door. "What was that for?"

"What?" Clara slipped her purse with the money bag inside over her head.

"You groaned."

Clara blew her breath out between her lips, making a raspberry. "Just thinking of what we're doing."

"You can't stop now."

"I'm not going to." She picked up her phone and keys off the counter. "That doesn't mean it doesn't bum me out. I like Wayne, and I'm not the kind of person who uses other people."

"We like all the Notus members, and that means we have to be careful. They have to be invested enough to help us." Gracie walked with Clara to the back door and paused before going out of the building. "You never know, Wayne might understand our side of things once everything comes out."

"Nobody understands lying," muttered Clara.

"You're not lying. You're keeping information to yourself." Gracie raised her brows. "Dad had a reason for everything he'd done. Right or wrong. We were upset, even mad at him for what he kept from us and lied about, but we eventually forgave him and understood his reasons why he moved us away and kept the truth about how mom died from us. While he wanted to move on, because we were more important to him than justice, we want mom's killer found. We need to do what Dad couldn't do because he was raising us."

Clara put her hand on Gracie's arm. "Do you ever wonder if mom would be happy with what we're doing?"

"Every single day. Nobody should have to live through what happened to her. I also can't blame dad for how he reacted." Gracie held up her can of mace and opened the door. "Let's go before Wayne's food gets cold."

Both of them silently got in Clara's car and pulled out of the alley. Gracie continued holding the can of mace in her hand during the ride across town. Clara, aware of the dangers, kept an eye on cars behind her and on the side of the street when pulling up to Wayne's house.

The front porch light came on the moment the car came to a stop. Clara pushed the button to unlock the car doors and got out before locking the doors again. She walked up the driveway with Gracie smiling. She couldn't help herself.

Wayne stood in the doorway wearing a black T-shirt and his jeans in his bare feet. There was something so endearing about him greeting her without his boots on that warmed her stomach. Within reach of him, she stilled.

"I forgot the food in the car." She stepped back to go to the car to get his late dinner and Gracie laughed, holding up a brown sack. "Oh. You grabbed the food."

Aware of forgetting her purpose for coming over, she took the food from Gracie and handed it to Wayne. "Here you go."

"Thanks." He leaned down and kissed her softly. "Come in."

Her toes curled, and she glanced at her sister, aware that Gracie judged her and the kiss they shared. "Can we stay a few minutes?"

Gracie swept her hand out to the side. "After you."

Once Wayne turned his back, Clara reached out and pushed Gracie, staring at her to be nice. The situation was awkward for her. She and Wayne had spent time alone. Had sex. Had conversations. Had cuddles. Almost had a night of sleeping in each other's arms before he was called away.

Bringing her sister to Wayne's home knowing all that they'd done made her self-conscious. With Gracie here, their plan on her mind, she felt awkward and fake.

Wayne led them into the kitchen and pointed at the table. "Take a seat. I've got coffee on if you want a cup."

"I'll take one, but let me get it. You can sit and eat." Clara looked at Gracie. "Want a coffee?"

"Sure." Gracie sat across from Wayne at the table.

Clara moved around the island and knowing where the mugs were kept, poured them each a drink, adding one spoonful of sugar. She carried the mugs to the table and sat to the right of Wayne, who'd eaten most of the fries already.

"Eating before sleeping is only going to keep you awake," said Gracie.

Wayne never hesitated and took a bite of his burger. Clara laughed. She'd seen how eating worked for him. Even after sex, he had no problem consuming a big meal.

"Or, maybe eating before sleeping gives people nightmares," said Gracie. "One of those old wives' tales is true."

"Oh, God. Stop." Clara rolled her eyes. "I'm sure it has more to do with gaining weight if you go to sleep right afterward but as you can see, Wayne needs food to keep up his body size..." She'd walked right into admitting he had a good body. Glancing at Wayne, she smiled. "So, you have to work in the morning."

"At six o'clock." He wiped his mouth on one of the paper napkins she'd put in the sack. "I get off at three. Then, I'm going out with the club to follow the path AirChinook will be flying in case they spot anything. We received the police department's approval earlier, and an Amber Alert was sent out."

"The police don't search the ground?" She dared not look at Gracie to show her surprise.

Wayne finished chewing the last bite of his meal. "Not in partnership with AirChinook. Though they will check out certain areas if called in. This type of situation, there can't be too many people looking."

She nodded. "Of, course."

Wayne leaned back in the chair. Clara reached out and rubbed his forearm. There was nothing productive she could say to help him in the case. He was mentally and physically exhausted. The kind of strength it took to put in the long hours, the thoughts that had to consume him, gained her respect.

"We should leave and let you rest," whispered Gracie.

"Yes." Clara straightened her back. "Is there any way I could bring you food or meet you somewhere after work, so you can eat before you go back out to search?"

Wayne sat forward and held her hand. "You'd do that?"

Gracie leaned against the table. "Absolutely. It's the least we could do."

Clara nodded in agreement to Gracie. "We can have Paxton make sandwiches for all the members."

"Appreciate it. We'll swing by after work and pick up the food." He stood and pulled Clara to her feet, keeping ahold of her hand. "I'll walk you both to the car."

Neither one argued with him that they'd be fine going the short distance down the driveway. Clara leaned against him, not wanting to go. It seemed like ages since they were together, instead of two days.

Gracie walked ahead of them, while Wayne slipped on his boots and walked with the laces undone. He put his arm around Clara's shoulders, and she embraced his waist, loving his big body.

"Hey, listen," he whispered. "Everything happened at a bad time. I never planned to have you over and then up and leave you."

"I never thought that's what you were doing." She stopped beside the car and waited until Gracie got inside and shut the door. "It's important that you help find the girl."

He smoothed back her hair and framed her face with his hands. She raised up on her tiptoes and tilted her chin in the air. He captured her lips softly, holding her close, and slowly kissed her. He went deep. Tongue, heavy breathing, and seductive patience.

She leaned heavily against him, thoroughly sated. "You need to go to bed."

"Now that I've kissed you, I can sleep." He inhaled deeply. "Do me a favor?"

"I'll try," she said, rubbing his back.

"Hang in there a little longer. I'm not done with you yet." He kissed her quick and hard. "Not by a long shot, but until I'm finished here, I don't have extra time to spend with you."

She placed her finger on his lips. "You don't have to explain. I get it, and I admire you for what you do for others."

He kissed her forehead and patted her ass lightly. "Better get in the car. Your sister is waiting."

She stepped away and walked around the front bumper of the car, taking another look at him. Her chest squeezed, and she ran back around the car and flew into his arms, kissing him frantically, twining her hands in his hair.

His body hardened and then shook with amusement. She pulled back and laughed. "There's no way I'm going to be able to sleep tonight now."

She hurried to the car, waved while smiling at him, and slid into the driver's seat. She had to get out of here and let him sleep, and if she kissed him one more time, she'd want to stay.

"You like him," said Gracie, in the privacy of the car.

Her grip on the steering wheel tightened. "He's like nobody I've ever met before. Rugged, hands-on, dedicated, and yet sincere. I can't help feeling as if he feels the same about me as I do him."

"Yeah, but he doesn't know you yet."

"I know," she whispered.

***

He sat in his car. The house the twins lived in was attached to someone else's house. From the outside, it looked like a normal two story home. Except it had two garages, two doors, and identical windows. He didn't like where they lived, so close to someone else.

It was the middle of the night. They were supposed to be at home.

He'd followed them home from the bar and found out where they lived but lost them in traffic when they'd left again. Where had they gone?

How long had he waited for them to come home? His stomach soured. It was like they disappeared.

The whole neighborhood was quiet. Even from where he was parked three houses down and across the street, he could view from one stop sign to another. He got out of the car and walked to their side of the house. Looking around, he was sure nobody in the neighborhood watched him from the windows. They were all private people with their fancy cars and houses that all looked the same.

He picked up the welcome mat. Rage bubbled inside of him. They never put a key out for him. Though he silently rejoiced in winning. With no access to the house, it also meant the bikers that were always at the bar couldn't come inside when the women weren't home. Smart.

Very smart.

He wanted no one touching what was his. Soon, he'd make them pay for letting other men touch their skin. They needed another sign to know he was watching, but he wasn't ready yet.

There was fun to be had with the girl he'd taken. He'd use her for practice the way he had other women in the past. Except, the first woman he'd taken. He'd made a mistake. The woman who fought and fought and fought. She fooled him. He'd thought she was his, but she pretended. Everyone was always pretending.

The sound of a car grew louder in the distance. He walked down the steps, put his hands in his pockets, and stopped when he reached the street. Headlights came from his right. He jogged to his car and slipped inside, slouching down below the window.

The car drove past. It wasn't the women who look alike. He sat up and hit the steering wheel. Where were they?

He started the car and pulled away from the curb. They weren't allowed to hide from him. He rocked back and forth in agitation, hitting his chest on the steering wheel. He'd find them, but tonight he'd return to his house and make the other girl pay. They'd learn not to hide from him.