Chapter 11
ELEVEN
The home base of The Iron Serpents was Sidewinders, a bar positioned close enough to the highway for easy escape, but hidden from view behind a wall of trees.
The dirt parking lot was packed with expensive motorcycles, chrome glinting in the faint moonlight.
A few trucks were scattered near the back, and a lone sedan that looked completely out of place.
Voices from a group of men dressed in leather vests carried across the distance.
Dawson felt their eyes track his SUV. He had the sense, even in the darkness and the borrowed vehicle, they’d been made as law enforcement.
No one came to Sidewinders uninvited, except cops.
Peyton leaned closer to the windshield, presumably to get a better look at the bar. The low, flat-roofed structure was dimly lit, the blacked-out windows sufficiently hiding whatever was going on inside. “How would anyone know this is a bar? It doesn’t even have a sign.”
“That’s by design.” Dawson killed the engine. “Cade pretends it’s his only source of income, but it’s actually used to launder funds gained from illegal sources. The only people who visit Sidewinders are members of the Iron Serpents, their families, and a few old, loyal friends of Larry’s.”
“Larry?”
“He ran the biker gang until his death a year and a half ago. That’s when Cade took over. He was Larry’s top lieutenant. Learned everything the old man knew and proved he had the brains and the ruthlessness to keep the operation running.”
Peyton hummed, flipping down the visor to apply a fresh coat of gloss to her lips. “Surprising. The Cade I knew was headed nowhere fast. Not that being in charge of a criminal enterprise is a step in the right direction, but you get my drift.”
“These guys believe they have a brotherhood, and will do whatever is necessary to protect their leader. Cade is careful to promote the most loyal members among his crew, and so far, it’s paid off.
We’ve tried over and over again to get someone to turn on him.
Last year, one of his top guys was charged with murder.
A robbery that went wrong. We offered manslaughter if he’d inform on Cade.
He flat-out refused. Was convicted of first-degree murder and went away for life without parole.
” Dawson turned to face Peyton. “Don’t underestimate the snake pit you’re about to enter.
These guys could shoot us, and all of them would lie about what happened. They’ll say whatever they’re told.”
She fluffed her hair before offering him a hard smile and flipping closed the visor mirror. “I’ll do my best not to irritate them then.”
Before he could say anything else, she exited the SUV, her long legs eating up the distance to the bar.
Dawson scrambled after her. She’d forgone her thick winter coat for a pair of hip-hugging jeans and a maroon sweater.
Boots kept her feet warm and hid her ankle holster.
With her hair long and loose down her back, she cut quite an image.
If Dawson’s adrenaline hadn’t already started pumping, Peyton would’ve sent his heart into high gear.
As it was, he wanted to toss her over his shoulder and haul her out of here.
Especially when the biker guarding the front door gave her an appreciative once-over.
“Looks like you’re lost, sweetheart.”
“Nope.” Peyton drew to a stop in front of him. “I’m here to see Cade Maddox.”
He crossed his arms over a meaty chest. “Then you wasted your time because he’s not here.”
The hair on Dawson’s arms rose as he clocked movement along the side of the building. They’d attracted attention from the group smoking outside. Some of them stamped out their cigarettes and moved closer, as if anticipating a fight. Several were visibly armed.
“Tell him Peyton Hughes is here to see him.” Her tone was full of confidence, and her smile bordered on smug. “Trust me, he’s gonna want to speak to me.” Peyton tossed a lazy wave toward the group closing in. “Hey, boys. No need to get your boxer shorts in a knot. We’re not here to cause trouble.”
The guard at the door jerked his thumb toward one of the guys. “Ricky, get in there and tell Cade this woman is here to see him.”
Ricky broke away from the crowd. He was bald with a tattoo snaking up the right side of his neck, and the confident swagger of a man in his element.
Nothing about him stood out, and yet he pinged Dawson’s internal warning system.
Before he could place why, Ricky disappeared inside the bar.
He emerged a moment later to give Peyton an assessing look. “Boss says she can come in.”
“Told ya.” Peyton lifted her chin as Ricky let her pass.
When Dawson attempted to follow, he was met with two walls of flesh as the guard at the door and Ricky blocked his entrance.
Momentary panic hit him. He couldn’t let Peyton go in there alone, but fighting would likely get him killed.
He started running through possible strategies when static erupted from the guard’s walkie-talkie, and a voice filtered out. “Let the husband in too.”
The guard and Ricky stepped aside without a word.
Dawson followed Peyton inside.
The bar stank of cigarette smoke, beer, and body odor.
A long bar took up most of one wall. Mismatched tables and chairs were scattered across a scratched plank floor covered in peanut shells.
Country music spilled from a dented jukebox.
The crowd was mostly bikers playing pool and darts.
An assortment of women draped over bar stools or the man of their choice.
And along the back wall, just past the dance floor, sitting on an elevated stage with a full view of the room was Cade.
His dark eyes locked onto her. Like a predator that had just found its prey. Peyton swallowed the urge to run and let her hips sway a little as she crossed to him. Dawson followed close behind. His steady presence gave her the confidence to keep her attention on Cade.
Dawson had her back. He wouldn’t let anyone hurt her.
“Well, well, well, if it isn’t Princess Peyton.
” Cade’s gaze swept over her body from the top of her head down to her feet and then back up, lingering a bit on her chest before drifting back to her face.
“I never thought you looked much like Lilia, but after all this time, I can see the family resemblance.”
The nickname gave her a jolt. It was the same one Sandra always used. A coincidence? Could be. Cade had dated Lilia years ago, and her aunt had called Peyton that for as long as she could remember.
Surrounding Cade like a group of courtiers were bikers sporting enough ink and piercings to keep the only tattoo parlor in Knoxville busy for years.
Peyton reached for a chair one of the men was leaning on and flipped it around before straddling it.
She’d interrupted their poker game. Picking up the cards on the table, she frowned.
“Ouch. Pair of twos. Someone should thank me for distracting you, Cade.”
A low laugh escaped him, and his expression softened, even if his gaze didn’t lose that predatory look.
Peyton understood it. What her cousin had seen in him.
Chiseled features, jet-black hair, and muscles for days.
Unlike his comrades, he only had a few visible tats.
Coupled with his arrogance and a charm he could turn on and off at will, he had bad-boy written all over him.
For a woman desperate for male attention, Lilia wouldn’t have stood a chance.
Peyton dropped the cards. Time to get to the point. “I suppose you’ve heard. Lilia’s missing.”
“I did.” Cade's attention flickered toward Dawson before focusing back on Peyton. It was the first time, other than allowing him into the bar, that Cade had paid her ex-husband any mind. “I figured you’re here cuz you think I had something to do with it. For efficiency’s sake, it’s better to clear the air. I haven’t seen Lilia in over a year.”
“But you were dating her?”
“For a while.” He leered. “I’m thinking I chased the wrong cousin.”
Peyton smothered the shudder of revulsion rippling down her spine. She began collecting the cards from the table and stacking them. “So the baby isn’t yours then?”
Cade didn’t miss a beat. “No.”
“Funny, she looks a bit like you.”
That earned her a laugh. “Next thing you know, you’ll be asking for my DNA.”
“Well…” She gave him a predatory smile of her own. “If you’re offering, I won’t say no. It’s a good way to put this to rest once and for all.”
Cade picked up a glass of beer from the table. He drained it, licked the rim with deliberate slowness, and then handed the glass to Dawson. “Here.”
Peyton blinked in surprise. She didn’t know whether to be happy or disappointed at the prospect that Grace wasn’t Cade’s daughter.
Happy. Definitely happy.
As soon as Dawson took the glass, Cade’s hand shot out and grabbed Peyton’s arm. He pulled her into a standing position. Dawson lunged, but two of Cade's men caught him. The glass in his hand tumbled to the floor in the struggle and shattered into pieces. Peyton stared at the shards.
Cade completely ignored the commotion between Dawson and his men. “This is one of my favorite songs.” His voice was smooth as honey. “Dance with me, Princess Peyton.”
She nodded automatically, and as he turned to lead her onto the dance floor, Peyton shot Dawson a reassuring glance.
His expression was thunderous, but the men holding onto him loosened their grip.
He made no move to follow her. Peyton appreciated the way he let her call the shots.
He didn’t like it—she knew that much—but he respected her enough professionally to do things her way.
Cade wrapped an arm around her waist, cupping her other hand within his meaty one.
He pulled her close. Peyton’s insides revolted at the touch, but she leaned into it all the same, letting him take control of the dance.
He swayed her along to the sound of the country music ballad.
“Your husband looks irritated.” His tone was amused.
“Ex-husband,” she corrected. She wanted to create as much distance between her and Dawson as possible. Cade had basically ignored him, but he’d allowed Dawson into the bar for a reason, and she sensed the undercurrent of male hostility. “He’ll get over it.”
“I’m surprised he let you go.”
“He didn’t have a choice.”
“And yet…here you are…in my bar. Together.”
“He’s helping me find Lilia.” She pulled back far enough to look him in the face. “That’s all I want, you know. To find my cousin. The rest doesn’t matter as long as she comes home alive.”
Cade hummed, forcing them back together again. His breath was hot against her ear. “You’re walking a dangerous line, Princess Peyton. I happened to like Lilia, which is why I’m cooperating, but this is a onetime deal. I didn’t have anything to do with her disappearance.”
“What about the attempted kidnapping of her child?”
“Also not me.” His hand slid up and down her back. “I gave you my DNA. I have nothing to hide.”
“What you gave me is now shattered all over the floor.”
He shrugged. “It’s not my fault your ex bungled things.”
“They knocked it out of his hand. Don’t insult my intelligence, Cade.”
His hand tightened on hers. “Don’t insult mine. I don’t care about Lilia’s rugrat, and I’m not foolish enough to target two cops.”
“Then members of your group did. We have evidence.”
“My men don’t blink without permission.”
“Well, then we have a problem.”
“Do we?” Cade’s tone was once again amused, but when he leaned back to look her in the face, there was none of it in his expression.
It was cold. Hard. Deadly. “I’ll say it again, Princess Peyton, you’re walking a dangerous line.
If I were you, I’d focus my attention somewhere else.
It’d be a shame if something happened to you or your ex-husband. ”
The threat chilled her blood. Still, Peyton kept her expression schooled and her tone even. “If you didn’t have anything to do with Lilia’s disappearance, then someone is working hard to make it look like you did. Isn’t that a problem?”
“For me. Not you.” He touched her nose, a silent warning to keep it out of his business. Then his mouth quirked. “Turnabout is fair play. Get out, Princess Peyton. And take your pet with you.”
Cade suddenly released her, catching her off-guard. She stumbled, and laughter spread around the room. A second later, Dawson was at her side. He caught her elbow and hurried her toward the exit.
The echo of Cade’s laughter followed her into the parking lot.