Chapter 4
BECKY (KENZIE)
Iwoke up to honking horns and revving car engines. The parking lot was open to anyone who wanted to camp out, but it wasn’t safe. I pulled my shade off the windows, happy to have made it another night.
I grabbed my pack from the front seat and dropped back onto the bed. Digging through it, I searched for my journal, checking every pocket.
“Oh no.”
I turned the backpack upside down, and its contents hit the floor of my van, but my journal was nowhere to be found.
I squeezed my eyes shut and took a couple of deep breaths. It must be back in my locker at the diner. I did not want to return to that hellhole, but my journal had my life in it. I shoved my stuff back in my bag and quickly pulled on a pair of jeans and my boots and climbed into the driver’s seat.
Shit, I had to pee.
I jumped out of the van and stepped to my left, and my ankle buckled. “Damn.” I looked down, and there on the ground was my journal. I picked it up and dusted off the front cover. Something felt off.
I flipped through the pages. Nothing was missing. I ran my finger over the inside of the back cover. My drawing of the Infinity Kings logo made my heart race. I drew it from memory, but it was a perfect replica. It scared me how much of that night was burned into my brain.
And I was in the same room with them not twelve hours ago. I groaned.
“Something wrong?”
I gasped and flattened myself against my van. I dropped my journal again. Reid bent down and picked it up. Thankfully, it fell closed. Bikers were dumb, but no doubt he would recognize his own logo.
“You scared the shit out of me.” I grabbed the book and held it to my chest. “What the hell are you doing here?”
He stepped closer, resting an arm on my side mirror.
Freshly showered and well-rested, he looked annoyingly put together.
The same dark jeans but now paired with a white long-sleeved Henley.
It stretched across his broad chest. He carried a duffel bag slung over one shoulder.
I didn’t see his cut. It must be in the bag.
Weren’t there rules about that? His dark wet hair curled up at the ends, and he didn’t look nearly as intimidating as he did last night.
Although he still had those same steely gray eyes.
In the light of day, he seemed softer, more approachable.
“I saw you pull in and thought better of approaching you in the middle of the night, considering how skittish you are.” He shrugged. “I figured I’d meet up with you this morning.”
“For what?”
“Breakfast.” He motioned toward the hotel.
“Why would I have breakfast with you?” I opened the car door. He jumped out of the way. I shoved my journal under the seat and climbed in.
“Because you’re hungry.”
My stomach took that moment to growl and embarrass me.
“See.” He chuckled and grabbed the car door. “Come on. You have to eat.”
Maybe having breakfast with an actual Infinity King wasn’t a horrible idea. I could do some research. Pick his brain. See if I could get an in and still hang onto my mission and my dignity.
“Sure.” I stepped down and shut the door to my van. “But I’ll pay for myself.”
“Yeah, we’ll see.”
I followed him through the pool gate and into the hotel. We walked across the quiet lobby toward the hotel restaurant. It was early, and only a couple of tables were occupied.
“Sit wherever you want, hon.” The hostess waved us in and followed with menus. Reid picked a four-top table away from the other guests. He pulled the chair out for me, but I sat in the other chair. The waitress giggled.
Reid sat down opposite me.
“Coffee?” she asked.
“Yes, please.”
“Oh, so you do have some manners.” He took the menus and handed one to me. “I’ll have some, too. Thank you.”
“I thought bikers didn’t ask, they just took.” I scanned the menu.
“How do you know so much about bikers?” He leaned forward.
I leaned back. “I don’t. They come to the diner occasionally. Rude, handsy. They throw money around, and only about two in a group of ten fit the lifestyle. The others are just wannabes and posers.”
“You’ve thought about this.” He sipped his water. I did the same.
“Tell me I’m wrong.”
The waitress returned to the table with coffee.
“What can I get y’all to eat?”
Reid gestured toward me.
“I’ll have pancakes and bacon.” I handed her the menu.
“Ham and cheese omelet and wheat toast.”
“I’ll be right back with your food.” She collected his menu and scurried off.
“So?”
“So what?”
“Why did you become a biker?” I poured cream and sugar into my coffee. I didn’t bother stirring it, just took a tentative sip. It was hot and strong.
“My father was a biker and my best friend’s father was a biker, and it seemed inevitable.” He carried a hint of regret in his tone.
“So, you didn’t choose the life.”
“The life chose me?” He shook his head. “Naw. I wanted it. I admired the mission, the camaraderie, the family you get to choose.”
“I think that’s what the mafia says, too.” I wiped my mouth. “It’s all about la familia.”
“Okay, so you’re a fan of bikers and the mafia.” He leaned back. “I bet you listen to true crime podcasts in your spare time.”
“Never hurts to stay well informed about the world.”
“The criminal world.” He nodded.
“Well, not like I’ll be living on Park Avenue anytime soon.” I looked out at the flat horizon.
“Where are you from?” he asked.
“Arizona.”
“You still got family out there?”
The waitress waddled over, balancing a tray on her shoulder. She served our breakfast without a word, refilled our coffees, and walked away.
“Yeah, my parents are still there.” I never fit in with my government-issued family, but I missed them. They did not know where I was or what I had planned. It was better to leave them out of it. They were good people.
Okay, Kenzie, focus.
“Where are you from?”
“Morristown, New Jersey.” He spun his knife like he did last night. “Born and raised.”
“You said your father was the president of the Infinity Kings?”
“Yeah, he got killed by a rival gang several years ago.” Now he had an emotion. “It was a long time ago.” He scratched his right forearm with his left hand. “I never really got the full story of how he died.”
“Do you want to know?” I picked up my fork. “I mean, wouldn’t you want to know and do something about it if you could?”
“How do you know I haven’t already?” He raised his left eyebrow.
I cut a piece of my pancake and put it in my mouth to stop myself from talking.
“I assume being born into it, you were fully aware of what you were getting into.” I tasted the bacon. “Yum, this is good.”
Or maybe I hadn’t had a decent meal in months. I’d been living off scraps at the diner and gas station snacks.
He smiled at me. He had a pleasant smile for a biker.
“Not everything we do is bad.” He sighed. “I mean, we’re more legit than not these days. More club than gang. But we must defend what’s important to us, right?”
“Defend against who?”
“Oh, there are always people who are trying to take us down.” He took a bite of his omelet. “Rival gangs, law enforcement—”
“Old vendettas.”
He pointed his fork at me. “Exactly. My club is important to me, and I won’t let anything, or anyone destroy it.”
I swallowed the lump of pancake in my throat and reached for my water.
“But, like you said, you’re more good than bad. Didn’t your president say something about a Halloween party?” I continued eating. “Must be cute with the costumes and little kids running around.”
“It’s not that kind of party.” He smirked, and his cheeks turned red.
“Oh, I’m intrigued.” I laughed while my stomach flipped. “The president offered me his personal invitation. Maybe I’ll drop by.”
“No, I don’t think it’s quite your speed, Becky.” He said my name as if he knew it wasn’t real.
“I wouldn’t want to insult your president by not honoring his offer.” I giggled.
“Becky, I’m telling you to stay away from that party.” He set his fork down. “It’s no place for a beautiful young woman like yourself.”
My face grew hot, and my heart raced. I patted my chest. What was wrong with me? Getting all flustered by compliments from a man and an Infinity King too.
I concentrated on my breakfast. I wasn’t sure when I would get another decent meal.
“No worries.” I stuffed a bite into my mouth. “I’m not heading in that direction anyway.”
“Oh, yeah, and where are you going?” He continued eating.
“Maybe head down south for the winter, get to a warmer climate before it gets cold up here.” I kept my voice steady. I got pretty good at lying over the years. “Nashville seems like a lively town.”
“Why don’t you go back home?”
I shrugged but didn’t answer.
After a few minutes of silence, he pushed his chair back and stood up. “Well, if you ever find yourself near Jersey”—he flipped a card and some cash onto the table—“give me a call.”
I grabbed the card.
“Just not this weekend.”
It had the Infinity Kings logo but with the word security written underneath and the address of the clubhouse.
“Heck, I may be in Georgia by the weekend.”
Again, he gave me a look like he didn’t believe me. I was lying, but he didn’t know that or know me.
“Take care of yourself, princess.” He smirked and saluted before walking off.
I blinked and opened my mouth to admonish him for calling me princess, but he was already walking away. I admired the view until he turned back. He winked and waved before disappearing through the hotel lobby.
He’d left enough to cover both our meals and a generous tip. I shook my head and finished my pancakes. I finished the rest of his omelet and two more cups of coffee before I dragged my stuffed body out of the restaurant and back to my van.
I cleaned up and put some stuff away. I situated myself in the driver’s seat and fished the card out of my pocket. The back of the card was blank, but good card stock, thick, and textured. I turned it to the font. The card gave the club some legitimacy.
I typed the address into the GPS on my phone.
It was about a two-hour drive. Or I could pass on by and head to New York.
I’d always wanted to visit the big city.
See the sights. Maybe even continue to Connecticut, check out Boston.
There was no need to decide now. I could just follow the road and see where it took me.
For once, I had a little money—and a little freedom.
At twenty-one years old, I had my whole life ahead of me.
It didn’t all have to be about violence and revenge.
Who was I kidding? It was heading in the direction of my defunct legacy. I had an idea and an address and an in. I might never have this opportunity again.
I shifted the van into drive and pulled out of the parking space. Another car cut in front of me. I slammed on the brakes, and the van rocked back and forth.
I laid on the horn until the guy pulled away.
When my heart stopped racing, I exited the hotel parking lot onto the frontage road.
I came to the intersection with one sign pointing west and the other sign east. I sat there so long, I missed the light turning green.
The car behind me honked me out of my daze.
The choice had already been made, and there was no turning back now.
I had to see this through.
I owed it to my mother. And no matter how legit the Infinity Kings were or how sexy some of their members might be, it would not deter me from what I had to do.