Chapter 11
CHAPTER
ELEVEN
ASPEN
It’s been a week since I apologized to Asher. I feel like I’ve been walking on cloud nine.
I was so worried about what I did to him that I did not consider that he might harbor his own guilt for everything that happened.
Now that everything is out in the open, I feel lighter. I’m still not 100 percent better, but I feel like I took a step in the right direction.
Walking over to Maggie’s house, I look up at the sky. It’s a nice, clear day, even if it’s a bit chilly. It feels good, though. It makes me feel free.
I hear the roar of a motorcycle as I walk out of the woods. I smile when I see Asher and Calloway getting ready to leave. They both cut their engines as I walk up to them.
“You both be safe out there,” I tell them.
Calloway laughs. “Always am. I’ll meet you at the gate,” he tells Asher.
Calloway starts up his bike once more before taking off down the drive.
Turning to Asher, I lean in closer to him, wrapping my arms around his neck.
“I’ll see you later?” I ask him.
He nods. “I’ll come see you as soon as I’m back.”
Leaning into him, I press my lips to his.
“One day, I want a ride on this beast.” I tap my hand on the motorcycle.
He smirks at me. “Say the word and it’s done.”
“Word.”
He chuckles. “Trouble. I’d give up everything for you.”
“I know. Go hang out with my brother. I’ll see you later.”
I press one last kiss to his lips before stepping away. He starts up his bike, putting his helmet on before he takes off.
I stand and watch him like a giddy teenage girl.
It. Feels. Good.
When he can no longer be seen, I turn and skip up the porch steps before knocking on the door. I hear Maggie yell out, so I open the door.
The living room is humming with energy as I enter. Kim and Lisa are moving things around while Rain and Maggie are poring over some papers.
I smile at the sight. I’m part of something bigger.
“Hey. How can I help?” I ask.
Everyone says “hey” as Maggie turns and moves toward me.
She hugs me as she says, “What took you so long?”
I smile. “I got a little sidetracked. I saw Calloway and Asher as they were leaving.”
She nudges me. “You seem happier. Can I assume it has something to do with Asher, or is therapy that good?”
“Yes, we would all like to know,” Kim chimes in.
“Therapy is good. I am opening up a bit more, and it is helping, but honestly, you helped me more than anything, Kim. That advice you gave me changed my thinking,” I tell her.
“Oh. Wow. I’m glad I was able to help.”
Maggie gives me a weird look. “Is that why you have been going around and talking with everyone?”
“Yes and no. It was her advice that gave me the courage to do it, but I really did owe you an apology,” I tell her.
“You didn’t, but I’m glad it helped ease some of the worries on your mind. You look good. I’m happy to see you happy.” Maggie hugs me once more before moving back toward Rain.
“I’m happy to see you giving the prospect a real shot instead of being a bitch all the time,” Rain chimes in, not bothering to look my way.
“Hey!” I exclaim.
“What? It’s the truth. You were mean to him when all he wanted was to be here for you. I understand why, but I’m glad we are past that. He seems like a good guy, and you deserve the world.” She shrugs.
“She’s right about that, my dear. You deserve a man who looks at you the way Asher does,” Lisa adds.
“How is that?” I ask.
“Like you hold his entire world within your being,” Maggie says.
The other three women nod their agreement.
“I worry that it isn’t real, though. Don’t they say not to start relationships after traumatic events?” I ask.
“I think that was the movie Speed,” Rain jokes.
Kim glares at her before turning toward me. “It doesn’t matter how it starts. It matters what you feel in your heart. Trust that and your gut, and you can never go wrong.”
I smile, grateful for my newfound family. I couldn’t imagine this would be where I would have ended up.
“Thank you. Enough about me. What do we have going on for this carnival?”
Lisa holds up a bag. “We are inventorying all the stuffed animals and prizes for the event and separating them into tiers so we can figure out how we can maximize our donations.”
“While we are looking into different places to get the word out. So far, we have three newspapers, but there is so much more out there that we can do. We are brainstorming ideas,” Maggie says.
“What about radio stations? That one station back home used to do a marathon on the radio to raise money for charity. We could do something like that the day of the event,” I offer.
Maggie smiles. “That is an amazing idea. Here is my laptop. Make a list and then start calling. I think I’ll call local businesses and see if any are willing to match any donations.”
“I could check social media. See if there are any local groups that would like to sponsor an hour or something. There are clubs for everything,” Rain offers.
“It sounds like we have a good plan in place. You girls get to that, and we will help once we are done,” Maggie says.
“Before we do, can I just say thank you all? I was a different person before I came here, but I really like who I’m becoming with all of your guidance,” I tell them.
“You’re going to make me cry,” Maggie says as she moves over to hug me.
All the others join, and for several seconds we embrace in a group hug. I don’t miss the sniffles from a couple of them as they pull away.
“All right, let’s make this carnival our bitch,” Rain says, making us all laugh.
I wouldn’t have it any other way.
ASHER
Seeing Aspen before we left helped lift my mood tremendously. Not that I was in a bad one to begin with. The past week, we have spent time together every single day.
Her shy looks when she thinks I’m not looking are killing me, but I refuse to take this relationship any faster than she wants. She sets the pace, and no matter how painstakingly torturous it will be, I will follow it.
I’m grateful she offers her kisses freely, though. Those small, stolen touches are what keep me going. Especially when I am headed into a situation that could potentially be dangerous.
If you had asked me a year ago if I would be pulling up the rear of a group of motorcycles, I might have believed you.
Going undercover was always my plan. I spent eight months with Ragged Anarchy before Aspen came on the scene.
She thinks she ruined that whole thing for me, but I was never going to be patched in.
Even if Adlet allowed me in, their initiation required killing innocents. My boss would never let me kill to get inside, so I already had an expiration date. Aspen gave me a reason to get out before we had to figure shit out.
That’s why I would have never believed it if someone had told me I would be doing my best to be patched into an MC, having given up my badge for a woman. Back then, I couldn’t imagine anything outside my perceived reality.
Aspen changed my life for the better. I hate that we had to suffer to get here, but I don’t want to go back to the life before. I don’t think I was truly fulfilled as an FBI agent.
Now, I feel like I have found my place, and it’s right here with these men by my side.
That’s not to say any MC would do.
Mountain River MC is a special bunch. It really is a brotherhood here. They have morals. I can get behind that.
They also happen to have a blonde beauty in the midst who has stolen all my attention.
“Eyes open. Something doesn’t feel right.” Talon comes through the headset in my helmet.
All thoughts of Aspen flee as I focus on my task at hand—the run we are currently on. It’s the whole reason I was at Panther’s place when she came by. We were going over last-minute details he wanted me to keep an eye out for.
He doesn’t want to believe someone in our group is sabotaging us, but it seems that way.
Caterpillar turns and looks over his shoulder. I stare at him, wondering what he is doing. When he slows, I match his pace, not liking how far away from the group he is. After a moment, he points.
I see what he sees.
“Bogeys on the left about half a mile,” he calls into the mic. “Prospect and I will divert through the woods until it’s clear.”
Talon comes on. “I see it. There’s a little side road up here to the left. Cut your lights now and turn them off. Meet up at the rendezvous point.”
“Copy that,” we each say.
My adrenaline is pulsing through my veins as we cut our lights.
This is the backup plan. It’s why we always separate the shipment between two bikes instead of all of them. We have the others as a distraction while we get away.
Still, I don’t like it.
We are on a back road that cops aren’t known to frequent. Especially local ones who are on the MC payroll.
The fact that they are there doesn’t look good on me. I have nothing to do with it, but I know the doubt will be there.
I follow Caterpillar down the side road until we reach the end. There’s a house, but we pull off to the side of it, heading out into the open field toward the trees. Once we have cover, he turns off his bike, jumping off to push it. I do the same.
“This doesn’t feel right,” I mumble.
“It’s only your what, fifth run? It happens from time to time,” he snaps back.
He’s one of the ones who don’t trust me. I think it’s why he volunteered to be a runner with me.
Now it makes me wonder if there might have been another reason.
“Give me the rest of the guns. We need to split up, and I don’t trust you,” he orders after several minutes of maneuvering rough terrain.
“I don’t think so. We stay together, or I take them. Panther trusted me with this. Unless he orders me, I’m not giving it up,” I spit back.
“Why? So you can take them to your pig buddies? No way.”
I snort. “Then we stick together.”
He doesn’t say anything, but I can see the tension in his shoulders.
We continue through the woods in silence for another thirty minutes. I’m sweating and my arms are aching by the time we get close to another road.
Caterpillar stops.
“Wait here. I’ll check it out,” he tells me.
I don’t say anything, but I don’t move to follow him as he leaves his bike, walking closer to the road. I can barely see him as he disappears onto the other side of the trees. He stands there for several minutes without a word.
As he does, I take the items from his bike and put them in mine. I’m ready to run should I need to. It’s quiet for another five minutes before he comes back.
“It’s clear.”
I nod. “I have your half. You can have it back.”
He glares at me. “Why would you touch my shit?”
“In case you ran into trouble. I could still get away. It’s for the best of the club.”
“One you aren’t part of,” he growls.
“You seem so sure I won’t be. Panther seems to want me in. What is holding you back?” I ask.
“You are a filthy pig. You played on the other side of the law. I can’t trust that you aren’t undercover all over again. After all, you played a demon for many months before you turned coat. I’m sure they had no idea who you were. At least we do.”
“Fair enough. I don’t need you to blindly give me your trust, but I do need you to follow orders. Panther wanted me here, so I’m here. Now let’s get going before they think something happened to us.”
“Whatever, man.”
Caterpillar takes his half back before we push our bikes out of the woods.
As soon as we are on the road, we turn our bikes on and take off.
The rendezvous point is fifteen minutes from where we ended up, and we don’t stop for anything.
We are careful to follow the speed limit, not wanting to take any chances.
When we finally pull in, Talon is waiting with Eagle and Panther.
“What happened?” Panther asks as soon as we are off the bikes.
Caterpillar speaks up. “Nothing once we split off. It was a long trek in the woods, but no one showed up.”
Panther looks at me. I nod, telling him it’s the truth, but I give him a look. He clocks it and nods back. I know we will talk about it later.
“Switch off with Eagle and Talon. They will deliver the goods. You two head back to the clubhouse,” Panther says.
I hand my satchel over without question. Caterpillar doesn’t.
“I can see this through. Don’t pull me off now.”
Panther looks at him hard. “It’s not about seeing it through. We are close enough, and the roads are clear. Give it to them.”
Caterpillar nods solemnly before handing over his satchel. He leaves without another word.
Panther turns to me. “What happened?”
“Nothing, but he was insistent that I give him my half. I refused. He got angry when he went to check the road, and I grabbed his half for safekeeping in case I needed to run. He also didn’t directly accuse me of setting us up, but he insinuated that I cannot be trusted because of my background,” I tell him without hesitation.
“Do you think he was acting weird?” he asks.
“He called the cops out before Talon saw them. Seemed suspicious that he knew they were there,” I tell him.
“We will keep an eye on it. Good job out there, prospect. Keep up the good work,” Panther tells me.
I nod before getting back on my bike to head home.
I will never admit it, but those words from Panther meant a lot to me.