Chapter Two
Lily
I wasn’t sure what it was about this guy that made me feel I could trust him.
He looked anything but safe. He had craggy features with a rugged jawline and massive shoulders straining the seams of his shirt.
A faint scar ran down his neck from one ear and disappeared into his shirt.
His leather vest with all the patches and symbols on it didn’t exactly scream upright citizen.
I wondered why he called it a cut. Maybe I’d ask him, if he stuck around long enough to help me.
Then again, maybe it was all those things that appealed to me.
Tim was the polar opposite of this guy. He was a financial advisor to high-wealth clients.
Neat and tidy haircut. Three-piece suits over impeccably starched shirts and imported leather shoes polished to a high shine.
He’d turned out to be a class-A Asshole, so maybe this guy was a saint.
More importantly, Jack had told me I could trust anyone in Riptide. He’d never tell me something that could get me hurt.
I followed Rattler back into the bakery and slid into the booth in the back corner, placing my backpack down beside me.
I lifted the flap to check on Scrapper. The kitten had gobbled down a good portion of the muffin I’d liberated.
Poor thing was probably starving. I smothered a smile at the sight of him curled up contentedly on top of the panties I’d stuffed in there in such a hurry.
Rattler went over to the counter and placed an order.
Minutes later, he strode toward me carrying a tray with two mugs and a plate containing a carrot muffin and a blueberry scone.
Setting it down, he placed one mug in front of me along with some packets of sugar and a handful of creamers.
He set the other mug down on his side of the table and placed the plate of pastries in the middle.
“Couldn’t decide what looked best so I got both.
” He slid into the booth across from me.
“Also forgot to ask what you took in your coffee, so you get to fix it yourself.”
I eyed up the plate of goodies. “Okay if I take the blueberry scone?”
He nodded. “Take whatever you want.”
I picked it up and took a bite. Heavenly!
I hadn’t realized how hungry I was. I’d missed supper last night, and I didn’t have time to grab anything before getting on the bus.
The connection to this little town had been foremost on my mind when I switched buses in Atlanta.
I’d been too keyed up to even think about food until I grabbed that muffin, and most of it had gone to the kitten.
I swallowed. “Thank you.”
“No problem.” He looked uncomfortable. I got the feeling he wasn’t used to having people thank him. “So tell me what’s going on. Why are you looking for the Riptide compound?”
I sighed. “Long version or short?”
“I’ve got time. Let’s go with the whole thing -- start at the beginning.”
So I did. From the time I’d run out on my pervert of a stepfather to my lousy choice of boyfriends and ending with last night’s fiasco.
I just omitted the part where I’d brained him with the pot.
I was almost a hundred percent sure I hadn’t killed him.
I just wasn’t sure whether I was happy about that or not.
A dead Tim couldn’t come after me, but a live one could be a problem.
Then again, a murder charge wouldn’t do much for my future.
Rattler sat quietly through my monologue, a thoughtful look on his face as he sipped his coffee and let me tell the story at my own pace.
I tried not to sound like a wimp and failed. “If he can, I’m afraid he’s going to come after me. He always said he’d kill me if I tried to leave him.”
He raised one brow. “If he can?”
Damn. I hadn’t meant to tell him that. I keep my gaze glued to my coffee cup.
“I hit him pretty hard with a cast iron pot. I’d been making spaghetti sauce, and it was still on the stove.
I’m almost positive I just knocked him out, but it was hard to tell.
There was blood and sauce all over the place.
I didn’t check his pulse or anything to see if he was still breathing, but his fingers twitched and I think I saw his chest move.
I didn’t want to be close enough for him to grab me if he was faking.
I just wanted to get out of there before he came to. ”
Rattler looked thoughtful. “Is he mafia, or cartel? Something like that?”
I shook my head. “Not even close. He’s a big shot finance guy at a brokerage firm, but he’s got lots of friends in high places.
I called the cops the first time he hit me, and they sat me down and asked me what I did to piss him off.
Didn’t charge him, didn’t haul him off to jail, didn’t even warn him to leave me alone.
Treated me as if it was my fault he hit me.
I think I was starting to believe that, believe I deserved it.
He took my phone off me to make sure I didn’t call for help again.
Haven’t seen it since. I kept trying to make sure I didn’t do anything to set him off, but when he threatened to shoot little Scrapper here, I kind of snapped.
He’s just a kitten. He didn’t do anything wrong. ”
“It’s called gaslighting. Blaming the victim for being a victim.” He grimaced. “Your ex sounds like a fucking asshole. Sorry that happened to you.”
I had to choke back tears of relief. He believed me, and hearing him refer to Tim as my ex made my day. “Thank you.”
His gaze shifted to the kitten. “Scrapper, huh?”
I ruffled the soft fur on the kitten’s neck. “It suits him. Doesn’t look big enough to be away from his mama, but he survived alone long enough to find me.”
A faint grin lifted the corner of the big, tough-looking biker’s mouth.
“If you want, you and Scrapper can come with me once the cupcakes are ready.” He glanced over at the girl behind the counter.
“I’m heading back to the compound and, as luck would have it, I have the truck instead of my bike.
Thor didn’t think I could make it back home on the bike with a couple dozen cupcakes.
At least not if I need to get them there in one piece, and he’s determined that everything Janet wants, Janet gets. ”
“Thor is the guy getting married?”
“That’s right. No idea what he did to finally convince her to get hitched, but Janet is the bride.” He put his mug down on the table. “I’ll be back in a minute. Just need to visit the head.”
My confusion must have shown on my face.
“The john? The can?” He grinned. “Coffee in, coffee out.”
I felt my cheeks heat up. “Oh.”
“I’ll be right back.” He headed off in the direction of the washroom sign just as the girl came by with a coffeepot in hand. “Need a top-up?”
I nodded and pushed my cup toward the edge of the table so she could reach it more easily.
She poured the coffee with an expert flair. “I’ve never seen Rattler in here with a woman before.”
That sounded more like a question than a statement. “We just met. He’s giving me a ride. You know him well?”
She topped up Rattler’s mug. “Well enough. He’s one of the Riptide bunch.
Vice President. Those guys look tough, but they help people out when they need it, and they have a code they live by.
Kind of like a family, the good kind that looks out for each other.
My name’s Wendy, by the way. What’s yours? ”
“Lily.” I felt a fleeting touch of jealousy.
My family definitely wasn’t the good kind.
“Nice to meet you, and good to know about Riptide. My brother said he was going to join them when he mustered out of the SEALs, so I figured they had to be a good bunch. This was kind of a spur of the moment trip for me.”
She cocked her head. “Your brother changed his mind?”
“Not exactly. He didn’t make it back from Afghanistan.”
She gave me an awkward pat on the back. “I’m sorry. I really need to learn to mind my own business. That sucks.”
Yeah. It really did. He would have made sure my stepfather kept his hands to himself. “Thanks.” There wasn’t much else to say.
“Well, the Riptide guys will look after you.” Her eyes twinkled. “And you’ll get to help the old ladies with the cupcake tasting!”
I wasn’t so sure about that. Not like I was part of the group or anything. Rattler came striding back to the table just then, and Wendy gave him a friendly smile before heading back behind the counter.
“Wendy taking care of you while I was gone?” He slid into the seat across from me.
“She was giving me the lowdown on Riptide.”
He groaned, a comical expression on his face. “Hopefully it was all good.”
I laughed. “It was good. She didn’t divulge any deep, dark secrets.”
He took a mouthful of his coffee. “That’s because she doesn’t know where we buried the bodies.”
I was pretty sure he was kidding, but after my altercation with Tim, the image that brought up was a little more comforting than it should have been.
Just then, a woman came out of the back holding two big cake boxes. She set them on the counter and glanced over at Rattler. “All done. Sorry about the wait. We thought you were coming in later.”
Rattler stood. “No problem. How much do I owe you?”
The lady shook her head. “Thor took care of it when he placed the order. You’re good to go.”
“Thanks.” He turned to me. “You and little Scrapper ready?”
I picked up my coffee mug and gulped down the last mouthful. Making sure Scrapper was secure, I shouldered the backpack. “Lead on.”
Rattler strode over to the counter and picked up the two boxes. I noticed he didn’t offer to relieve me of my backpack, and I appreciated it. No matter how nice he seemed, I didn’t trust him far enough to let him separate me from the few things I had left to my name.
* * *
Rattler