Jameson: Mayhem Makers (Forsaken MC #1)

4. Lucia

A fter we checked out of our hotel in New Orleans the next day, we stopped at Cafe Du Monde to get beignets and coffee before getting on the road.

“I can’t believe we’re going to meet Sapphire Knight tomorrow!” I practically squealed, excited to meet one of my favorite authors.

Elise giggled. “I know. And we’ll get to meet so many more, too. Have you read any of the other Mayhem Makers authors?”

I nodded. “A few. Chelsea Camaron, Winter Travers, and Ryan Michele.”

Since I’d barely been allowed to go anywhere or do anything, reading was my escape. And the only thing my dad didn’t control. I loved losing myself in a new world every time I opened a book since I was trapped in mine.

The signing was in Frisco, Texas, at the Dallas Cowboys headquarters, and we were staying at the hotel where the event was being held. I was excited to meet other book lovers and the authors who created the stories I loved.

Elise drove the last leg of the trip into Frisco. I was looking at an old-school road map and trying to plot the rest of our trip.

“So after Frisco, we’re going to Roswell, right?” I circled the city on the map when Elise nodded. “Then the Grand Canyon and Vegas.”

“Yes, yes, and yes,” Elise answered. “Then after Vegas, we’ll visit the Santa Monica Pier, then head up to San Francisco.”

I circled the various cities as she listed them. I tapped the pen against my lips. “Then after that, Portland and finally, Seattle.”

I drew a line connecting all the stops, then set the pen down and looked at our route. “I can’t believe that two days ago, I’d never left Florida, and now we’ve driven across four states.”

Elise chuckled. “I know. It’s crazy, right?”

I was definitely crazy to be doing this against my cartel lord father’s wishes. “Very.”

Elise glanced at me, then placed her hand over one of mine. “Are you doing okay with all this? I know it has to be a lot for you.”

I sighed. “It is, but I’m doing okay. This is what I’ve always wanted, and I’m trying to enjoy it without getting overwhelmed.”

She squeezed my hand. “Well, I’m here for you, whatever you need.”

I smiled. “I know. I’m glad we’re doing this together.”

After we checked in to our room, we decided to walk around the massive shopping center where the hotel was located. Dozens of restaurants, bars, and shops were within walking distance of the venue.

“Can you believe we’re really here right now?” Elise asked.

I looked around. “Not really. Sometimes this whole trip feels like a dream. Especially last night.”

After the speakeasy, we went back to our hotel with Gabe, Sam, and Charlie. Elise decided to hook up with Sam and Charlie in our hotel room, so Gabe and I had to awkwardly hang out at the bar and wait for them.

Elise scoffed. “I still can’t believe you had sex with Gabe in the bathroom of the speakeasy. That’s more like something I would do.”

I laughed. “Well, I was drunk and trying to live in the moment. It was my first night of freedom.”

After we finished dancing at the speakeasy, Gabe took me to a secluded booth tucked away in a corner. We made out, and he fingered me in the booth. Then we took things to the next level in the women’s restroom, where he bent me over in the stall and fucked me.

With protection, of course.

Not the most romantic, but I really enjoyed it, especially at the time. Looking back, it was a little reckless and slutty, but I was making up for lost time.

My dad would be so pissed. The thought made me smile.

“No judgment here, girl. You do you,” Elise replied. “I need to find someone here to hook up with. They say everything is bigger in Texas, right?”

I laughed. “I guess you’ll find out tonight.”

“Let’s get something to eat, then we can check out some of the bars around here,” Elise suggested.

“Sounds good to me.”

After we ate, we barhopped for about an hour before my eyes began to feel heavy. The alcohol was adding to my fatigue, especially since I was not used to drinking. My dad never allowed me to drink, but sometimes Elise would sneak some alcohol over during our sleepovers, so I had drank before.

Just not so much liquor and shots. I was used to seltzers and wine coolers.

I yawned as we walked out of one bar. “I’m tired.”

Elise scoffed. “Already? It’s only nine.”

“Yeah. We barely slept last night, and we drove all day today.”

She playfully jabbed me with her elbow. “Lightweight.”

I pushed her back, fighting a smile. “Hey, it’s not my fault I’m a lightweight. You’re the one responsible for my experience with alcohol.”

My best friend laughed. “Just one more place. I’m sure I’ll find a guy at this one.”

I rolled my eyes. “I hope so.”

Elise was right. We found a whole group of guys wearing tight jeans, cowboy hats, and boots inside. She nudged me as we sat down at the bar. “Bingo.”

I chuckled, suppressing another yawn. “I guess that’s why this place is called the Concrete Cowboy.”

Nodding, she bit her bottom lip, her eyes roaming over the group.

“I hope one of them has a room here because after this drink, I’m going to bed.”

Elise laughed. “Prude.”

We ordered drinks, and then a few minutes later, one of the guys made their way over to us. He smiled widely, showing off perfect teeth. His blue eyes sparkled with mischief. “Are you two ladies looking to have some fun tonight?”

“She is,” I replied. “I’m about to go back to our room for the night.”

“We just drove here from New Orleans. We’re on a road trip,” Elise added.

“Is that so? Is that where you’re from?” the man asked.

Elise shook her head. “No, we’re from Miami.”

“Oh, a Florida girl.” He leaned against the bar, angling himself toward Elise. “No wonder you’re so beautiful.”

Elise giggled as I rolled my eyes. “Are you staying here?”

The man nodded. “Yep, my buddies and I are here for a bachelor party. The groom is a huge Dallas Cowboys fan.”

“How fun,” Elise replied, taking a sip of her drink. She was doing her doe eye thing that always hooked the guys. “Should you be getting back to your friends?”

He glanced over his shoulder. “Nah, they’ll be okay without me for a little while. Can I buy you another drink?”

“Sure,” Elise said. “Dirty martini.”

He grinned. “What’s your name, sweetheart?”

“Olivia,” my best friend answered, using her fake name again.

“I’m Tom.”

“Nice to meet you, Tom.”

After a few more drinks and a ton of flirting, Elise and Tom decided it was time to take things to his room. She insisted on walking me back to ours first, though.

“See you in the morning,” Elise said, kissing me on the cheek.

“Use protection,” I reminded as I opened our door.

She giggled, linking her hand with Tom’s. “We will.”

I shook my head as the door closed behind me. I climbed into my bed and passed out as soon as my head hit the pillow.

The following morning, I buzzed with energy even though I’d barely slept. I’d went to bed around ten, but I’d woken up around four in the morning, unable to go back to sleep. I was too worried about being one of the first people in line because I wanted to make sure I met all the authors, especially my favorites.

Elise was dragging, too, of course, since she stayed up most of the night with Tom.

After we got in line, Elise said, “I need coffee. I’ll be right back. You want something?”

I shook my head. “I’m already jittery enough.”

“Suit yourself.” She shrugged before walking away.

We were about fifth in line and still had a couple of hours before the doors opened for us to enter. I decided to sit against the wall and play on my phone until Elise returned.

When Elise finally came back, we went over the layout of the author tables and formed our game plan. “Definitely Sapphire first, then we should just continue around the outer tables before we hit the inside ones,” I suggested.

“Sounds good to me,” Elise said as she sipped her coffee.

Once the doors opened, the line quickly filed inside, and we made a beeline for Sapphire. “Hi,” she greeted with a bright smile.

“Hi,” I replied, handing her a canvas to sign. “It’s so great to meet you.”

“You are our favorite author,” Elise added, placing a stack of books on Sapphire’s table.

“Oh, thank you so much,” Sapphire said as she signed my canvas.

I looked at the selection of books she had to buy. “I want the special editions of Russian Roulette and Vow of Vengeance . Oh, and the Vendetti Duet.”

“Awesome, I’ll grab those for you after I finish signing these. What’s your name?” she asked, glancing at Elise as she got ready to sign one of Elise’s books.

“Elise,” my best friend answered before spelling out her name.

“Are you from around here?” Sapphire asked, looking back and forth between the two of us.

“No, no, we’re from Florida. But we’re moving to Seattle,” I answered. “We’re on a road trip there now.”

“Oh, that’s fun.” She handed Elise her stack of books back, then grabbed the ones I wanted to buy. “These will be eighty dollars.”

I grabbed the money out of my purse and handed it to her. “Thank you,” she replied. “What’s your name?”

“Lucia.”

“You both have beautiful names. So where’s the next stop on your road trip after this?” Sapphire asked as she signed my books.

“Roswell,” I answered. “Then the Grand Canyon and Vegas.”

“Oh, Vegas is so fun. I hope you’re spending a few days there because there is so much to do and see.”

I glanced at Elise, and she smiled. “Any recommendations?”

“The Sugar Factory has some fun food and drinks. And you have to see a show like Cirque du Soleil. Oh, and definitely visit Fremont Street. It’s an experience in itself.”

I smiled. “Thanks, we’ll definitely do that.”

When Sapphire finished signing my books, she handed them to me with a smile. “It was so nice to chat with you. I hope you have the best time on your road trip.”

“Thank you so much. This will definitely be a highlight,” I commented, unable to hide my grin.

I felt people behind me, so I grabbed Elise and shuffled out of the way, waving goodbye to Sapphire. “Bye. So nice to meet you.”

I looked down at my books, then at Elise. We both squealed and giggled. “I can’t believe we just met Sapphire Knight,” I said.

We put our books in the carts we’d brought for the signing, then moved on to the next author. The next few hours were a whirlwind of waiting in line, talking to authors, and buying books.

“I think we need to slow down.” I chuckled as I looked at my overflowing cart when there was a break for lunch.

Elise scoffed. “Pfft, we need to stock our bookshelves at the new apartment.”

I laughed. “I guess that’s true.”

At the end of the day, Elise and I were exhausted, especially since neither of us had slept much the night before. We lugged our carts up to our room and passed out on our beds.

We slept the rest of the day and through the night until early the next morning. After eating breakfast at the hotel, we checked out and loaded our stuff into the SUV.

Once we were situated, Elise input Roswell into the GPS. “Looks like it’s about seven and a half hours.”

I nodded. “So we’ll stay the night tonight and head to the Grand Canyon in the morning.”

Elise nodded, then started driving. “Sounds good to me. Wanna stop about halfway for lunch?”

“Yeah. Ooh, maybe we can find some hole-in-the-wall diner like you see in the movies.”

Elise chuckled. “We might not have many options through all the small towns along the way. There aren’t any big cities once we leave the Dallas/Fort Worth area.”

I sighed as I looked out the window. “I still can’t believe I’m actually doing this.”

“You still worried your dad will come looking for you?” Elise asked.

“I know he will. There’s no way he’s just going to let me go.” Leaning my head back against the headrest, I let out a breath of exasperation. “I just have to stay a couple of steps ahead of him for the rest of my life.”

“Well, he will have to give up eventually. We got rid of everything that links you to your old life, so I don’t even think he’s following you now. And if he is, there’s no way he knows where you are,” Elise replied.

A humorless chuckle escaped me. “You don’t know him like I do. And now that he is a cartel lord, he has more resources. I hope you’re right, but I’m not holding my breath.”

The sun was setting when we made it into Roswell. “I wonder if any of the museums are still open.”

“If they’re not, we can check them out in the morning before we head to the Grand Canyon.”

I had a specific timeline in mind, and I wanted to make it to the Grand Canyon the next day and Vegas the day after that. “It’s almost an eleven-hour drive to the Grand Canyon. We don’t have a lot of free time tomorrow.”

Elise chuckled. “Hey, this is supposed to be a fun road trip. We don’t have to stick to a strict schedule.”

She wasn’t running for her life. “Well, I want to stay ahead of my dad, and if we’re staying extra days in Vegas, we have to make up for it somehow.”

We pulled into the hotel we’d reserved the day before. “Hey, I have an idea,” Elise said as she parked.

I was a little anxious about the timeline, so my tone was clipped as I replied, “What?”

She tapped on her phone. “Well, it looks like it takes the same amount of time to get to Vegas as it does to get to the Grand Canyon.”

I smacked my tongue. “I don’t want to skip the Grand Canyon, Elise.”

“I’m not finished yet. We could go to Vegas and take one of those Grand Canyon helicopter tours they have all over the place. Best view there is.”

I pursed my lips to the side as I thought about her suggestion. “You know, that’s not a bad idea.”

She clapped her hands. “I have some good ones from time to time.”

We unloaded our bags and checked into our room. “Hey, there’s this cute Western cafe down the road from here. You want to grab something to eat?” Elise asked.

“Yeah. I wasn’t too impressed with the diner we stopped at earlier. Hopefully they have some good food here.”

There wasn’t much to do in Roswell at night. So after we ate, we went to a local bar and grill for Elise to find her hookup in Roswell.

“I don’t think it will matter if you have sex with someone in Roswell. This is a small town,” I pointed out before taking a sip of my drink.

Elise shook her head, smacking her tongue. “I’m a woman of my word. Every city we stop.”

Rolling my eyes playfully, I laughed. “Whatever you say.”

“Did you think more about what I said about the Grand Canyon and Vegas? I’d like to know a game plan before I’m occupied for the night.”

“I think going to Vegas from here is a good idea. I did some research, and we have a choice of several tours we can take from Vegas.”

Elise clapped her hands. “So when we check out, we’ll get some breakfast, then head to Vegas.”

I nodded. “Not looking forward to that drive, though. It will take us almost twelve hours.”

Elise groaned. “Maybe we should add another stop. That is a long drive.”

I shook my head. I didn’t want to add any more time to our trip and give my dad an opportunity to catch up to me. “No. I think if we switch halfway like we did today, we should be fine. Six hours each isn’t bad. We did that from Miami to New Orleans.”

Elise pouted. “I guess. You’re the boss.”

I laughed as the bartender slid up two shots; shots we didn’t order. I arched a brow, and the bartender said, “From the guy at the other end of the bar.”

Elise and I looked, and a man raised his glass to us. He was the cute kind of nerdy with dirty-blonde hair and dark eyes rimmed with glasses, and he looked a few years older than us.

My best friend and I made eye contact, and she shrugged. “He’ll do.”

The following morning after we checked out, we had breakfast at a local diner, then got on the road. I was not looking forward to twelve hours on the road, but I wanted to put as much distance between my father and me as possible in the shortest time.

The longer I was gone, the more likely I would be able to stay gone. Or at least that was how it worked with kidnappings and runaways.

“We should reach Vegas a little after ten tonight,” Elise said as she tapped on her phone. I had taken the first driving shift, so she was navigating. We’d lost our paper map somewhere along the way. “Well, probably closer to midnight if we stop to eat.”

I nodded. “We should’ve stocked up on more snacks. It would’ve saved us time and money.”

“True, but stopping lets us have a true road trip experience. More stops, more new places,” Elise countered.

I chuckled. “I guess you have a point there.”

We stopped at a gas station with a sub shop to get gas and lunch, then got back on the road.

“I can’t wait until we get there. Then we won’t have to drive for a few days,” Elise said as she rolled her head around, stretching her neck.

Even though I wanted to take a break and have some fun, the thought of my dad catching up to me made me nervous. “Yeah, it will be nice to relax,” I said.

Elise’s eyes darted from me to the road. “I know that look. You’re anxious.”

I replied with a nervous chuckle. “I’m fine. We’re going to have a great time.”

“You’re damn right we are. We’re going to Vegas, baby!” Elise cheered, honking the horn several times.

I couldn’t help but laugh. My nerves started to dissipate, and for the first time since we left home, I allowed myself to be optimistic.

I just hoped everything continued to go the way I planned. Sometimes things were too good to be true.