Chapter 9
Every year for the past five years, Rafe had participated in the annual Teddy Bear Run to raise money for a well-known children’s hospital.
Riders throughout the South donated five hundred dollars for the event and received a plush teddy bear to give to the young patients.
The event brought together bikers across the South.
His Harley growled into the parking lot of the Happy Times Diner. Rafe cut off the engine and waited. The owner of the diner was a big supporter of bikers and police. Rafe was first to arrive.
Rafe pulled off his helmet.
Samson Hendricks, Deputy United States Marshal, was next. Rafe raised a hand in greeting and adjusted his leather gloves.
“Hey.” Sam switched off his bike and pulled off his helmet, his thick brown hair tumbling out. Rafe teased him about his girl curls. Soon, Sam would be back on duty and get a haircut.
“You back from your parents place?” he asked Sam.
Sam nodded. “Love it there, but not enough to transfer. Though the family keeps nagging me to turn in the badge and come home to the ranch.”
Rafe understood that kind of pressure.
“How’s it going, Rafe? Heard about the suspension from Jase.”
“Been better. Looking forward to this, getting out on the road.” Rafe studied the way Sam used his left hand. “Finish with PT?”
Sam flexed his fingers in the leather glove. “Almost as good as new. New physical therapist in Miami is better than the one near my parents’ ranch. Ready to roll.”
Sam had a close encounter with a knife three months ago while serving a warrant. The suspect, wanted on an active felony warrant for a firearm, responded to the knock on his door with a twelve-inch butcher knife. Sam’s fingers paid the price that day, but therapy helped.
The suspect was shot and, after being treated and well enough to be released, went to jail and is now awaiting trial.
Rafe rubbed his neck where the bullet nearly nicked his artery.
As vice president of the Justice Riders Motorcycle Club, he recruited other law enforcement bikers needing an escape from the job.
Every rider in the Justice Riders was law enforcement, active or otherwise.
Most had survived violence on the job. Rafe needed a support system with other brothers in blue who rode and understood his love of bikes and the job, and the trauma that came from surviving extreme violence.
“How many are with us today?” Sam asked.
Rafe consulted his phone. “Nine in our group. You, me, Keith and Deb, Lou and Darla, Casey and two others joined at the last minute. Casey texted a couple of days ago she’s bringing them in, said she would introduce them. Two women named Di and Al.”
“Cops?”
“No, but Casey vouched for them. Plus, this is a different kind of run, every penny for charity, so I said yes.”
Sam grunted, his green gaze alert. “Hope they know how to ride and won’t slow us down. You make contingencies for the newbies?”
Giving a leisurely stretch, Rafe shook his head. “I’m not a babysitter or a damn chaperone. If they can’t keep up, they’re on their own.”
Rafe organized the ride for the Justice Riders and invited no more than ten riders in his group on the way to northern Georgia.
A couple pulled up on their bikes. Keith and Debbie Myers. Keith was a retired sheriff’s deputy and Debbie still worked as an oncology nurse.
He wondered if Debbie knew Allison. Nurses had a tight-knit group much as cops did. Rafe tried not to think of Allison and the hurt look on her face as he’d driven away from her or the way she’d glared at him when he left his grandmother’s hospital room.
The woman was bad news for him. He tended to lose focus when she was near, and during this business with Hernandez, he shouldn’t have lost focus.
Their dog, Comet, rode in a sidecar with Keith. The mongrel terrier had goggles on his face and was securely fastened into the seat by means of a harness. He grinned at Comet. Comet was a rescue the couple had adopted two years ago and enjoyed several adventures riding with them across the country.
Today the couple seemed quiet and even Comet subdued.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, joining them as they parked their bikes. He bent down and scratched Comet’s head. The dog’s tongue lolled out.
“Darla and Lou won’t be joining us.” Keith’s expression tightened. “Lou got hurt last night. Responded to a domestic violence call to save a victim.”
Rafe went still. “How bad is it?”
“He’s alive.”
The terse answer told Rafe everything. He touched his neck again, anger and grief coursing through him. The risks of the job, but damn, it seemed they were losing the war to keep the public safe.
Was it worth it?
He watched Debbie slide off her bike and put her arms around her husband. After twenty-five years on the job, Keith had retired after being shot during a hostage situation. He’d spent four months in ICU and retired when he was released from the hospital.
This was one of the reasons Rafe hesitated in settling down. He had been to too many funerals, seen too many grieving widows.
“Casey canceled, too. She’s not going when her partner is in ICU. ” Debbie wiped at her eyes.
Rafe called Darla, but her phone went to voicemail. He left a message.
Whatever Darla needed, they would provide.
He hung up, wishing he could cancel everything and go to Lou’s side. But Sam watched him, shook his head.
“You can’t do anything, Rafe. Lou’s solid. He’ll pull through, and Darla has plenty of support.”
“Yeah, she does. And we all need this ride.” Keith hugged his wife back. “Let’s do it. For Lou.”
Rafe nodded. Their little group was down to four now. “We can hit the road now, make it to the first stop by noon for lunch. I’ve got reservations for all of us in the same motel in south Georgia where we stayed last year, off the interstate.”
Comet barked. He petted him. “Yeah, it’s pet friendly, bud. All the hotels on the way take dogs.”
“What about the newbies?” Sam asked. “The ones Casey was bringing?”
“Casey gave them directions to the restaurant. They should be here soon,” Debbie said.
Frowning, Rafe glanced at his cell. “If they’re not here in ten minutes, we’re leaving. No time for stragglers.”
Though the day was warm and sunny, perfect for riding, the air carried a hint of a cool breeze. Rafe glanced to the west. Storm might be rolling in after noon. Best they hit the road now.
As he was about to give orders to roll out, two motorcycles pulled into the parking lot.
His heart skipped a beat or two as he recognized one of the women as she pulled up to a stop and pulled off her helmet.
Al was Allison.
* * *
This was not going well. Though she’d planned for a lukewarm welcome, this frosty silence from Rafe warned her they weren’t welcome.
She threw Rafe a pleading look as he narrowed his eyes. His Harley was a big touring bike, dark blue and gleaming chrome with a sizeable wind screen, saddlebags and even a luggage rack, where he’d strapped down a large backpack. It looked perfect for long road trips.
A burst of jealousy shot through her as she imagined the road trips he took with girlfriends, long rides through the country, maybe making love under the stars...
Everyone kept staring at her. Embarrassed, she recovered. “Casey said we could ride with you.” She lifted a hand to the other bikers. “I’m Allison Lexington and this is my sister, Diana.”
They introduced themselves. Sam was a deputy US Marshal and Keith was a retired police officer. Only Debbie wasn’t law enforcement. At least she had something in common with Debbie.
Diana looked wary. “You’re all cops?”
She was quick to add, for Diana’s sake, “Di, you remember Rafe? My friend who owns the landscape company?”
Diana frowned. “Of course I do. I thought you guys broke up.”
Heat suffused her cheeks. Sam said nothing, to her relief. Surely the others knew Rafe did undercover work.
Rafe did not look overjoyed to see her.
Sam looked interested as he studied Allison. “How do you know Case?”
“We go back a couple of years. She got wounded on the job and I treated her.”
“Wow,” Sam murmured. “You’re that nurse. The one who treated all those cops at the shoot-out on Bird Road.”
Rafe scowled. “If you’re done socializing, we need to get on the road before that storm rolls in.” He gave Allison a level look. “First stop is Arbor Beach at the cultural center. They’ll have snacks and a cash bar. But no drinking alcohol on this trip until we reach the hotel for the night.”
Allison couldn’t resist. “Yes, sir. I downloaded the map of all the planned stops on my cell.”
“We’ll take a break about three hours from here for lunch.”
The guy named Sam with the gorgeous brown curls squinted. “Rafe, I thought you wanted to get to only the planned stops in order to make time.”
“Well, I changed my mind,” he snapped.
Glancing at Diana fiddling with her phone, Allison felt a surge of relief. Rafe did this for her sister. He probably suspected Diana wasn’t going to last more than three hours without a break.
“Before we leave, here’s the rules one more time.
We ride in staggered formation, single file, on all roads except the interstate.
Sam takes the lead in the left part of the road, Keith and Debbie behind Sam at the right, Diana behind them on the left and so on.
Allison you ride in front of me. I’m in the rear. ”
“I’ve never ridden in staggered formation,” Diana said. “Must we?”
Allison wanted to groan. She turned to her sister. “Staggered means every rider can see upcoming obstacles and maneuver if necessary.”
“Or if a car decides to cut into your lane,” Keith chimed in.
“Or if there is road debris,” added Debbie.
Comet barked, as if even the dog understood.
Rafe nodded. “Use the usual hand signals to let us know if you need to stop, slow down, if you’re running out of fuel. You know the drill.”
To her relief, Diana smiled. “Paul taught them to me. Left hand tapping at your helmet means police ahead.”
All the others stared at Diana. Allison cleared her throat. Couldn’t her sister ever read the room?
“I’m not real fond of getting pulled over by cops,” Diana said.
Leather creaked beneath his oh-so-fine butt as Rafe leaned back in his bike seat. “None of us are, which is why we don’t speed.”
This was going south, fast. “Di, you remember the other hand signals? The other ones you said Paul taught you? Like raising your left arm up and down to indicate you’re speeding up, or left arm waving over your head that says you need to pull off,” she said.
Diana nodded. “Those, too.”
Mirrored sunglasses masking his eyes, Rafe looked neutral. He continued.
“Stay together. Have a problem with your bike, signal your partner, who will signal me.”
Sam started to open his mouth, saw Rafe’s slight head shake and shut it.
“No cell phones, texting. No calls on the road, only in an emergency. No speeding up unless you signal. No brake checks. We ride, rain or shine. Slow traffic or an accident—no breaking off from formation, unless Sam does, and deciding you want to ride in the breakdown lane or between cars to make time. If you have an emergency, call me or Sam. Our numbers should be in your cell phone.”
“That’s a lot of rules,” Diana complained.
Allison glared at her. “Di,” she muttered.
Rafe’s gaze remained steady. “My group, my rules. Don’t like it? You can go off on your own.”
“We should get going,” Allison said, desperate to bring peace between her sister and Rafe.
“Let me get the bears first. Lou picked them up for us. They’re inside.”
Rafe slid off his bike and went into the diner. He emerged with a bag. When he opened it he handed out the teddy bears, all wrapped in plastic.
“Lou had a hard time getting them because this year it seems a different guy is organizing the bear dropoffs, so please don’t lose your bear.”
All six bears were wrapped in plastic. All were dark brown.
Diana shook her head. “We already got our bears.”
Plastic crinkled as Allison removed a bear from the pack tied to her bike with a bungee cord. Soft and tan, it was double-wrapped in cellophane and seemed to grin knowingly at her.
Rafe frowned. “Where the hell did you get those? That’s not part of the plan.”
“Well, we improvised because we were running late.” Holding up the toy, Allison looked at Rafe. “We picked them up at a designated spot close to home to save time.”
His mouth tightened. “Fine. Sam, can you return these two bears inside?”
As the other biker ran toward the diner, Rafe pointed to her seat. “You can’t ride with the bear in the open like that, Allison. The bears are supposed to be hidden until we take them out for the photo op in town.”
Terrific. She glanced at Diana, who shrugged. “I don’t have room, Ally.”
Everything was crammed in her saddlebags and her backpack, including some of Diana’s clothing. Maybe if you hadn’t taken so much makeup and outfits.
Watching her, Rafe shook his head. “I have room. I’ll take both.”
“Thanks.” She handed him both bears and watched him stuff them into a saddlebag.
He swept the others with a stern look as Sam climbed back on his bike. “Keep the bears hidden in your packs until we go to the rally. Then we tie them on the front of our bikes when we meet up with the others. It’s a huge photo op for the charity and awareness.”
They started up their bikes and roared out of the parking lot. Muscles tensed, she tried to relax. Usually she loved long rides like this, especially before the weather turned hot and the sun too intense.
Allison’s thoughts tumbled like socks in a dryer as they rode north on I-95. She’d seen that scowl on Rafe’s face. No time to talk in private and explain. Maybe later, at the hotel.
More than a year ago, when Diana pestered her to take her on one of her motorcycle trips, Allison agreed, only if Diana would learn to ride her own motorcycle.
Diana had taken classes with Paul’s encouragement.
Paul had a crotch rocket himself and often spent weekends riding.
He even bought Diana a bike. The Honda Rebel he’d bought had a low seat and lower center of gravity, which made it easier for petite Diana to handle.
The bike also allowed for saddlebags for Diana to store her clothing and cosmetics.
It was smaller than Allison’s big Harley.
Money was no object. Allison swallowed her slight jealousy at the thought.
The important matter was separating Diana from her fiancé’s family, especially dear Uncle Hector and his drugs.
Or his suspected drugs. But more and more Allison knew Rafe had just cause for his investigation.
She hoped Diana could keep up on this trip, for Rafe seemed impatient.