Chapter Two
Bishop smirked at the woman in his arms. She was something.
She’d walked right up to him and acted like she knew him, like she was his old lady, then she’d asked for help.
He didn’t hesitate to give it. He might have if it had been someone else but something about the look in her eye, the way she’d looked terrified but in control, made him want to make sure she was okay.
She blinked up at him with clear pale blue eyes clouded with desire. He kind of liked that dazed look on her face. And that he’d been the one to put it there with only a kiss. He couldn’t help but wonder what she would look like in a post-orgasmic haze.
“Come on, Mama. Let’s see if we can find the fry-bread truck. I’m hungry. What about you?” He used the arm hooked around her waist to tug her against him as he and the others continued down the street the same way they’d been going when she’d approached.
“There’s a fry-bread truck about a block down. I passed it before I was sure he was following me.”
“Good. We’ll go down and grab a bite to eat. What’s your name, Mama?”
“I’m Winter. Thank you so much and can you please not call me Mama?”
“Are you headed anywhere in particular?” He ignored the comment about Mama, at least for now.
“Not really. I was enjoying the festival when I felt like I was being watched. That’s when I spotted him.” She took a deep breath and continued telling him what she’d done to be sure he was following her.
“No problem. Are you wanting to enjoy the festival, or just get away?” Bishop walked beside her, his arm holding her close.
He watched her out of the corner of his eye, looking for a sign she was uncomfortable with him or anything else.
Slowly, the tension drained from her body and the anxious look left her face.
She stopped looking around as if expecting someone to jump from around the corner and attack them.
Bishop wasn’t so worried. Few people would mess with the Sons of Sin MC, especially not four of them.
“I just wanted to leave. But if you are okay with it, I’ll stick with you, at least until we get close to where I parked.”
“We can do that, Mama, but we’re stopping for tacos. I came down here for some Navajo tacos and as long as there’s no emergency, I’m gonna get them before I leave.”
She laughed, a low, throaty chuckle that stirred something in him he hadn’t felt in too long.
“Come on then, Mama, I’m hungry.” He towed her along, enjoying the way she held onto him almost as tight as he held her.
What’s more, she fit against him as if she’d been built just for him.
She was just tall enough he didn’t have to bend too much to kiss her, and he wouldn’t have to worry about breaking her if he got a little rough in bed.
“Why me?” he asked Winter as they sat at one of the tables set up near the food truck. Warlock had gone to get them drinks while Blade and Viper stood in line only a few feet away to place their order and bring back the food.
“What do you mean?” She frowned.
“A whole street full of people, stores open on every side, and you walk up to me for help. Why me?”
“Oh.” One corner of her mouth tipped upward in what he could only call a bittersweet smile.
“That would be because of my dad.” She looked down at the table for a moment then back up at him.
“When I was a kid, Mom told me if I ever got lost or needed help, to find a police officer. Dad never argued or contradicted her, but when she wasn’t around, he would tell me that if there was no cop around or if my instincts told me not to trust them, I needed to find a biker. ”
“No shit? Your dad actually told you to find a biker if you needed help?” Bishop didn’t bother to hide his surprise at that.
Winter nodded. “Actually, what he said was look for the biggest, meanest-looking biker I could find, then march right up to him like I belonged there and ask for help.”
“Well, you did that. Where is your dad, he sounds like someone I’d like to meet?”
She dropped her gaze as her expression morphed into a blankness he knew had to be masking some kind of pain.
“He’s gone.”
“I’m sorry, Mama.” He wrapped his arm over her shoulder and tugged her close. He hadn’t meant to stir up something like that. She’d brought up her dad first.
“It’s okay.” She lifted one shoulder and let it fall in a dismissive gesture. “Anyway, he was part of a club in Montana for a while. After he passed away, I couldn’t stay there. Too many memories.”
“So, you picked a place and left?”
“Almost,” Winter said. “I picked someplace warm. I was tired of the snow so I figured, two birds, one stone, and all that.”
He nodded. “How long you been in town?” Obviously long enough to have dated one piece of shit, but how long had they dated and was he the only one?
“Couple of years. Long enough I’m pretty familiar with the area, but not enough that I don’t get lost regularly. Are you from around here?” Winter tilted her head as she looked up at him.
Bishop liked that she looked to him. He didn’t know why, but he liked it.
“In town about ten years, but I’m a native Arizonan.”
“Nice, I bet you know all the best places to ride. The best roads, the ones you can get away with pushing the speed limit, that kind of thing.”
“I do,” he said and grinned at her. “And not just in town. I can take you anywhere in this state and most of the neighboring ones.”
“That sounds nice.”
“You said your dad used to ride, he ever take you for a ride?”
Winter grinned and nodded. “I loved those rides. They weren’t often but they were time with just me and him.” Her smile fell and she turned her attention to something in the distance, or maybe that’s just where her eyes focused while her attention was actually inside her head.
Bishop wanted to put her on the back of his bike and take her for a ride. He could imagine what she’d feel like pressed against his back, the heat between her thighs nestled against his ass.
“So, this guy following you, any idea who he is?”
“A guy I dated.” She glanced around as if looking to see if they were being overheard. They probably were, but the only ones close enough to hear her, or more than bits and pieces, were Bishop, Blade, and Viper. Warlock was across the intersection dealing with the drink vendor.
“Here we are,” Blade’s voice cut into his daydreaming as his brother approached the other side of the table, a pair of paper trays in his hands. He slid the two trays onto the table, then sat.
“This one is yours.” Blade slid one tray in front of Winter.
“Oh, thank you. How much was it? I’ll pay you back.
” She dug into her purse, probably looking for her wallet.
Blade looked at Bishop, who shook his head almost imperceptibly.
If Blade wanted the cash back, Bishop would cover it.
They wouldn’t be taking money from the girl.
Woman, he reminded himself. She was sweet, but she was definitely all woman.
“Don’t worry about it. I got it.”
“No, I can’t let you do that,” she said. “I just attached myself to you, I can’t let you buy my food too.”
“Too bad. I don’t remember how much it was and there’s no receipt.” Blade acted like he didn’t care, he picked up the large piece of fry bread spread with beans, meat, and more, and took a bite off the edge.
“Eat up before it gets cold.” Bishop motioned toward her plate.
“But what about everyone else? Wouldn’t it be rude not to wait?”
Bishop shook his head. “Eat while it’s hot. No one will care, Mama. Eat.”
She frowned at him for a moment then turned her attention back to Blade, who was working on devouring his food as if there wasn’t anyone else to think about.
Before she gave in and picked up her food, Warlock showed up.
“Dude. You sent one person for five drinks. You’re lucky they had a carrier.” He set the cardboard tray on the table in front of the seat beside Blade and started sorting them out, putting things in front of people.
“You got a tray. I have three plates of food and it’s just me,” Viper bitched as he approached, the rest of his food balanced in his arms. Bishop took pity on him and took the one that looked the most precarious and set it on the table. He’d let them sort out what belonged to who.
“So, run from crazy stalker exes often?” Viper said as he snagged a chair from a nearby table, brought it to theirs and sat down. He glanced at Winter as he picked up one plate and handed it to Bishop, then gave another to Warlock before putting the last in front of him.
“Unfortunately, it seems to be more frequent lately.”
“What do you mean?” Warlock asked, frowning. “Is he staking out your house and following you around, or does he keep showing up where you are?”
“I haven’t seen him around my apartment.” Winter tilted her head to one side. “I’ve looked. I can’t figure out how he knows where I’m going to be.”
“Did you tell anyone you were coming here today? Is it possible someone is telling him?”
Winter shook her head. I hadn’t even thought about it until I saw an ad for it while I was doomscrolling last night. Coming out today was kind of a spur-of-the-moment decision, and still he managed to find me.” She shrugged, looking defeated.
“How often does this happen?” Bishop asked. It sounded like the little fucker was tracking her somehow. The question was how and convincing him to leave her alone.
“Two or three times a week.” She picked at her food, breaking off a piece of the bread and putting it in her mouth. “He shows up pretty much any time I’m not at work or the grocery store, though I’ve seen him there a couple of times too.”
“Sounds like he’s tracking you somehow and shows up when you’re not where he thinks you should be,” Viper put in, echoing what Bishop had been thinking.
“The question is how. The most obvious answers are your car, your purse, or your phone. Do you ever go anywhere without them and has he shown up when you left them behind?”
“I-I don’t usually carry a purse, so that’s out. Usually, I just have my phone. And I almost never go anywhere without my car.” She frowned again. “How else would I get anywhere?”
“Hop on the back of my bike, I’ll show you how,” Warlock quipped. “I’ll take you for a ride you’ll never forget.”
Bishop fought the need to growl and let his brother know to keep his hands, and the rest of him, to himself.
He had no claims on Winter, other than he was the one she chose when she needed help.
Did he want one? Fuck, yes. But he had to convince her to take the chance and he suspected with one ex showing his ass and scaring the fuck out of her, that wouldn’t be as easy as he hoped.