Chapter 9
“Are you ready?” Psycho asked as he stood from finishing strapping her car to the dolly attached to the rental moving truck.
“I am,” she pointed to his pick-up truck with his motorcycle strapped in the back. They had decided to get a bigger U-Haul, so that they could load both of their things in one truck.
“Are you good hauling the dolly behind you?” he asked as he turned to look around, and when he turned back to her, he smirked and shrugged at her expression. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be, but yeah, I’m good. Remember, I was tasked to drive the chase truck when the Scorpions went on runs. How the hell do you think we were able to gather the evidence we had against them?”
“Sorry.”
Petra shook her head and crossed her arms over her chest, pushing up her breasts. She snapped her fingers in his face when he looked at them instead of at her. “My face is up here,” she said angrily and nodded when he jerked his head up.
“Sorry.”
“If you were sorry, you wouldn’t have done it in the first place. Let’s get a couple of things straight here, Psycho.”
“Could you call me Paul? Especially when we’re alone?”
“I can if you’ll listen to me.”
“I’m listening.”
“Okay, here’s the thing, I was undercover with Devil’s Scorpions for three years.
Before that, I was undercover with two other clubs.
My total undercover biker experience is nine years.
I’m not some impressionable little bitch that will take orders from anyone.
Nor do I appreciate being talked down to.
If you want to do this, then we need to state this before the journey even begins.
We will treat each other as equals. Things might change when we’re with other members of the club, but between you and I, it’s equal, or it’s nothing. ”
Paul stood there and looked at her in shock. “Oh, wow, okay, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you.”
“You didn’t actually offend me, however, this might be me, but I felt like you didn’t think I had a brain in my head. I’m over forty years old, Paul, I know what I’m doing.”
“Yeah, again, I’m saying this too much, but sorry. I’ll do better.”
“See that you do, and I’m sorry for going off on you like that.
It just pissed me off that you thought I was incapable of something.
I’m a grown ass adult, Paul. As I just mentioned, if this is going to work between us, then we have to work together.
You said you wanted to see if we could have something besides a working relationship, something personal, would you treat your girlfriend with questions about her ability to do something? ”
“No, not if I knew they could handle it. I forgot you drove the chase truck for Devil’s Scorpions. That’s on me, and again, I’m sorry. I’ll do better.”
“Good, because we’re going to have a lot of work to do once we reach our destination. I don’t want to keep repeating this conversation when we discuss things. And I don’t want you to be surprised if my hand shoots out and slaps you upside the head for being a dick.”
He smirked, but didn’t do anything other than that small movement of his lip. He didn’t want to test her, not right now. “I agree, and I’m sorry. That’s the last time I’ll apologize for this. Let’s move on, and hit the road.”
“Agreed.” She reached up and gripped his tee shirt to bring him down for a quick kiss. She gently shoved him away with a grin on her face. “All forgiven.” Then she turned on her heel and headed to the driver’s side of the rental truck. She grinned as she paused and looked back at him. “Paul.”
“Yes?”
“Next time you say you’re sorry, mean it.” She climbed into the truck and watched as he stood there with a stunned look on his face before he grinned and went to his truck with a wave.
*****
They took their time to get to their destination, three days.
When they stopped for the night and got a hotel room, they opted to get separate rooms. They had discussed the rooms accommodations when they’d stopped for the first meal break.
Each time they stopped for gas, or a meal, they took turns purchasing a burner phone.
Or if there were different stores around, they would stop in and buy one there.
By the time they reached their destination, they had over two dozen, along with double the amount of cards for minutes.
Petra slowed down as she saw Paul had his turning signal on, and sat up straighter to pay attention to where they were going.
She didn’t know if she liked that the driveway was well packed, but not paved.
Though she wouldn’t be one of the ones driving a motorcycle over it, she wouldn’t make any comments.
It was smooth driving, so in her mind, the bikes shouldn’t have a problem driving down it, and the paths were plenty wide enough.
Then she thought that with it being stone, then it might cause dust to billow and they could see from the house if anyone was approaching.
She parked, and looked around slowly before exiting the truck, stretched, then walked over to Paul.
“What do you think?” he asked as she joined him where he stood with his fisted hands on his hips and turned in a complete circle. “Tell me how you picture things as you turn and look.”
Petra nodded and mimicked his stance. As she turned, she first saw the house.
“Oh, I like the house, I can picture late nights with just us or others sitting on that covered porch after a long run, or a hard day at work. Sipping wine, coffee, or beer, whatever the mood says. I also like the flowers. I’ve always wanted a place that I could garden.
” She turned and looked then frowned as she pointed.
“What’s that building? The one with the red roof? ”
“I think it’s a chicken coop.”
“Holy shit,” she said as she turned to him in shock. “We can have our own eggs?”
“If you want to get chickens, we can.”
“Okay, we’ll put a pin in it for now.” She continued to looked then pointed again. “Which one of those barns will you be using for a clubhouse?”
“I don’t know yet. I’d like to keep one for us to park our personal vehicles in, along with whatever lawn equipment we might purchase, and in that sense, as a cover, I’ll be opening a motorcycle repair shop. That will be my job.”
“Would you want me to work outside the home?”
“That’s up to you, you can, or you can stay home.”
“I’ll put a pin in that too.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re going to be dealing with the guys when they arrive, correct?
Whether they are the ones you know, or ones that Kessler sends to us.
Eventually, we’ll have to reach out to Flynn and tell him to send guys our way if they need to get lost, you know, if their cover might be blown, if they’re compromised, or whatever.
Your front will be the repair shop. I imagine the guys that will be arriving whenever they’re done with their lives back home will be working with you.
You won’t be able to get to town often to hear any local gossip, to know if there’s anything going on.
I’m sure I could find a part-time job, once we’re settled, to listen to the locals.
However, I want to get unpacked and settled here first before I go to town and look for work.
I’m not trying to tell you what to do, but I think we should get the house set up first before you start the bike shop. ”
“I never thought of that,” Paul said with a nod.
“I agree with you about the house. Let’s go look.
” They walked toward the big farm house, but before they went up the steps and onto the porch Paul paused to pick up several rocks before he found what he was looking for.
He opened the bottom of one to withdraw the key and looked at Petra with a grin. She only shook her head at him.
After he unlocked the door, he stepped back and allowed her to turn the knob and enter before him.
He walked in behind her and looked around with a nod.
The previous renters had said they had cleaned everything, and he could still smell the cleaning solution they had used.
He hadn’t thought anything about it, just people making placating words, but they had actually cleaned.
“Wow, when did they move out?”
“Five days ago,” Paul said as he walked around to familiarize himself with the house again. He had only lived there for two weeks before he had rented it out and headed to Washington, DC to talk with Kessler and Flynn about going undercover with Devil’s Scorpions.
They toured the downstairs together, and he talked as they walked. “I had only lived here for two weeks before I was called into the offices of Kessler and Flynn. That’s when I went through a shit ton of testing to make sure my entire memory had returned.”
“What’s that mean?”
“It means that when I kidnapped that woman, and was shot and left for dead, the bullet hit me square in the metal plate in my head. It literally rattled my brain, and when I woke, I had no memory. Because I had been a veteran, while I was still unconscious, Flynn had me transferred to the nearest VA. It was a good eight months before I woke up, then I had no memory. All total from the time I was shot to when I regained my full memory was close to two years. Then after all the testing, it was another six months, then I was sent to Devil’s Scorpions. ”
“Damn, you’re not having any problems now, are you?”
“No, my memory is still intact, and I remember everything I did. As much as I regret my actions, there’s nothing I can do about it now.
The woman in question is happy, healthy, and married to the love of her life.
” He nodded as he continued to walk around, opening doors to refamiliarize himself with the house.
At one point, he opened a door and frowned.
“What’s wrong?” Petra asked when she looked up and saw his expression.
“I don’t recall the steps leading to the basement to be completed like this.”
“Well,” Petra said as she held up a piece of paper. “According to this note, the previous renters contacted Director Flynn and asked if they could make improvements. He agreed, and they went ahead and made changes.”
“Oh, well, then let’s go look.” He went down first, and when Petra joined him, he stood in shocked silence at the area around him. “Damn,” he said softly. “It’s like a complete apartment down here. I knew there was something before, but not this complete, or not this nice.”
“Yeah, I’m not telling you what to do with your own home, but this place seems big enough that the guys can crash here until they find a place of their own in the area.”
“Yeah,” he said and continued to walk around. When they were back upstairs, they continued on to the second floor and studied the rooms there. He looked at her and nodded. “I’m assuming this is the master, and if you want it, you can take it. I can take the other room with the connecting bath.”
“I don’t want to put you out in your own home,” Petra started to say, then smiled as he turned, gathered her in his arms, and studied her until she looked at him.
“You’re not, in case you didn’t remember, I like you Petra, I want to see if we can have something instead of a working relationship.
Something personal. Eventually, if my plans go as I want, then I will be moving into this room with you.
” He looked at her with a grin. “Just don’t take up all the closet space. ”
Petra laughed, then lifted her hand to place on the back of his neck, and brought his head down for a kiss. It was a long time before either of them lifted their head, and when they did, they were both breathing hard.
“Okay,” she whispered against his lips and kissed him again.