Secrets in Montana (Guardians of Hope #15)

Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

The motorcycles sounded loudly on the busy highway, announcing that the riders were nearby. As the group of eight rode down the highway, the onlookers either waived, moved out of the way or simply ignored them as they zipped past.

The ride from San Diego, California to Eagle Pass, Montana was a long ride. Yet, after the last couple of months these eight riders have endured, it was needed.

Laura “Red” Pratt, Joseph “Highlander MacLeod, Lindsey “Ice” Raso, Marcus “Pats” MacLeod, Cheryl Diesel, Dean “Viper” McKnight, Renee York, and Ernest “Jacko” Blackburn all rode their Harley’s in pairs. Women on the right side of the lane going down the highway with the men riding to their left, all in perfect synch with each other as if they had been doing it for years.

The last several months have been challenges after challenges for the eight of them. York being assaulted by an ex-boyfriend, Diesel’s daughter she’d put up for adoption being kidnapped and then Pratt’s long lost half sibling kidnapping her to destroy her.

They needed a break, and they were now getting it. Alpha Squad decided to take a much-needed break from everything going on.

For the next two weeks, their cases were handed off to be split between Bravo, Charlie and the newly formed Delta Squad. Four decided to hop on their motorcycles and ride to Montana to take in fresh air and wide-open spaces.

No phones, no kids, no fuss, no muss. Three of the rider’s hubbies found out and decided they were taking time off to spend with their wives for the next two weeks.

The fourth…well, they were still trying to figure out what his reasoning was since he nor York were a couple. That is according to them.

That situation was for a rainy day. Today, they were riding side by side down the highway to spend time with a good friend of theirs for a few days.

“How are ye feeling, lass? Good to ride for a few more hours before we stop for the night?” Joseph “Highlander” MacLeod asked his wife when they stopped to fill up the gas tank on their Harleys.

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that? You’re the one who got shot a couple of months ago,” Laura “Red” Pratt asked her husband as she wrapped her arms around his waist.

“I’m good, lass,” Highlander leaned down to place a kiss on his wife’s lips.

“What about the rest of you lot? Good to ride for a couple of more hours? I figure if we ride for another two hours, then we’ll only have six hours left to ride into Eagle Pass.”

Pratt watched as the others looked around at each other and then shrugged in union. She knew, just like she and her husband did, they just wanted to get there.

“Works for us. We’re about two hours from Provo, Utah by my GPS, so we can find a hotel there,” Dean “Viper” McKnight suggested as he looked up from his phone.

“Wait, isn’t there a hotel that we stayed at the last time we went through in Orem?” Cheryl Diesel asked as she looked around at her teammates.

“Yeah, I think it was the Fairfield Inn. They were pretty good, and the people were friendly,” Renee York answered as she snapped her fingers.

“I’ll call and get four rooms reserved for us,” Pratt said as she pulled out her phone to get the number.

“Five,” York quickly answered.

“Five? So, you and Jacko can’t share a room with two queen beds?” Pratt asked, fighting hard to hide the smirk that wanted to come out.

When the two women just stared at each other for several seconds, the others around them started handing out money to Highlander to place their bets. They wanted to see who would break first.

“I’ll stay on the bed you assign to me. I won’t barge into the bathroom while you’re in the shower and I won’t peek when you walk around in your short shorts when you get out of the shower. I’ll even pay for the room,” Ernest “Jacko” Blackburn offered York as he walked up beside her.

York sighed as she nodded her head. “Fine. It’s just for one night. No funny business, mister. I’ll kick your ass.”

Jacko put his hands up in the air in surrender, making the others laugh. Highlander winked at his wife as he waived the money in the air, showing her, he’d won the bet.

While the guys had gone in to pay for the gas for the Harley’s, Pratt walked over to York and sat sideways on her seat. She waited until York acknowledged her before she spoke.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to put you on the spot like that, Renee.”

“You didn’t. It made sense why you were doing it,” York sighed at she looked out past Pratt onto the highway.

“I thought things were good between you after LA?” Diesel asked, coming up on the two women.

“They are. We get along. There is no problems between us,” York admitted as she looked over at Diesel.

“You’re fighting your feelings for him, aren’t you?” Raso asked, smirking over at York.

“There are no feelings. He’s a good friend who helped me get through some shit that came up while we were in LA. I don’t need a pity fuck. He’s a great guy, but you all know he’s not into me. I’m not his type. He’s already said that.”

“Whoa, wait! When the fuck did that conversation happen and who the fuck is his type? I don’t think, in the entire time I’ve known the man, and it’s been a while, have I ever seen him with a chick,” Pratt asked, looking at York in shock.

“I overheard him telling Viper in LA that I wasn’t his type and to drop it. Apparently, his type, that I have seen him with the couple of times I went to the clubhouse with Diesel are scrawny looking hookers who have no ass and big ass breast implants,” York fired back, trying hard to hide the hurt that she couldn’t understand she felt.

“Are you talking about Tawny? Greasy looking dark-haired twat?” Diesel asked, as she tried to picture the chick York was talking about.

“Not sure what her name is, but yeah. Heavy makeup, crop tops, short skirts that show the bottom of her ass and had greasy dark hair,” York confirmed for Diesel.

“Bitch, please! That’s not his type. He’s never done anything with her. And trust me, that bitch has tried,” Diesel carried out the ‘d’ for a few seconds.

“Really, it’s ok. Let’s go use the restroom and get ready to head back out on the road. The quicker we get to Montana, the quicker we can relax,” York ended the conversation as she walked towards the door of the store.