Chapter 3
SPIDER
Fuck!
I was holding my mouth and there was blood. Rowan was apologizing profusely and the pounding on my door sounded like it was going to tear it off its hinges.
It was locked. And it was too fucking early for breakfast in bed… if that was even on the table.
My tongue was throbbing as I jumped out of bed. Rowan was right behind me when I opened the door to Dax.
And, man… did he ever look pissed.
Before I could speak, he said, "Why is the president of the Road Devils blowing up my phone asking to see you before I’ve even had time to take a piss."
Rowan stepped out from behind me. "It's because of me."
"Sorry," Dax said. "Got a lot on my mind and forgot this idiot had a lady present."
"I can explain," I mumbled as blood ran from my mouth.
"The calls or the mouth?" he said.
"The calls," I said.
"The mouth was my fault," Rowan whispered.
Dax raised his brows.
"You startled me when you knocked."
I could see Dax was fighting back a smile now, and even though my tongue hurt like hell, I couldn't help smiling too.
"Meet me in my office when you're done biting each other." He left shaking his head.
Rowan had her hands on either side of her face, looking sorry.
I wrapped her in a hug with my mouth closed, swallowing blood so it didn't stain my good shirt.
One thing I learned. Nothing killed a hard-on faster than a sudden spike of agony.
Rowan
The knocking on the door was much lighter this time. Just a soft tapping, and an aroma that made my stomach rumble.
I opened the door to a blonde woman about my height, five-foot-four, and about my age, with pretty green eyes. She had a tray with pancakes and bacon and two cups of steaming coffee.
She intended to stay.
I took the tray, thanking her, and she said her name was Angel.
She really was one. To me, at least, this morning.
I set the tray down on the little table and dragged the lone chair toward it as she sat on the edge of the bed.
"Don't mind if I stay?" she asked.
"No, not at all."
"I just wanted to meet the woman who got Spider's tongue." I blushed. She grinned. "It's all good. He's tough. He'll live."
She pointed to the food, and I took a bite. It was delicious and I told her so. "You work in the kitchen?"
She laughed. "That would be easier than what I do."
"Oh? What's that?"
"Keep my husband in line."
I laughed. "I hope he's not like the guy who almost broke the door down this morning."
She didn't say a word. The smile that swept across her face told me I'd put my foot in my mouth.
"Him?"
She nodded.
Fuck.
Spider
The door to Dax's office was open.
"Take a seat."
I had Rowan's phone in my hand. Before I sat, I showed him the photos.
"Fuck." He exhaled through his nose. "Buzzard has security footage from the bar. Rowan leaving on the back of your bike."
"So what do we do, Boss?"
Dax looked at the cameras on the wall as a lone Harley rider came into the yard and shut off his engine.
"Speak of the devil," Dax said.
"He's come alone." That was strange, especially given what we had on him and his men.
Buzzard hadn't moved. Just sat on his bike, waiting.
Dax slid his seat back and stood. He stretched his shoulders and it was the first time I'd thought about the weight on them from running this club. Especially when guys like me brought trouble in on the backs of their bikes.
I followed him out and we walked up to Buzzard. The ugly bastard unfolded his arms and climbed off his bike and gave Dax the kind of nod you give a man you don't like but aren't stupid enough to disrespect on his own turf.
"You have the girl?"
"The girl is my boy's old lady," Dax said, pointing to me.
That took this to a whole new level. To Buzzard, Rowan was now property of the Skulls.
"We don't?—"
"We?" Dax cut him off.
"I don't have a problem with the girl. I have a problem with what's on her phone. I know she took them and we just need them gone."
"And who's the we part of the photos? Besides you."
"Not Road Devils."
"So this was a job?"
"Correct."
"Paid?"
"No. Personal."
"Family?"
"In a sense."
"You know that the evidence we have—" Dax patted his jeans pocket. I had Rowan's phone in mine. "—could put you away. Just like that." He snapped his fingers.
"There's nothing to gain from that," Buzzard said.
"Your club would be gone," Dax said with a grin.
"You've never had a beef with us. And this guy—" he pointed to me "—was drinking in our bar."
"I didn't manage to get that drink," I said.
"Come back any time. On the house. Bring your old lady."
He looked at Dax. "Can we have a word in private?"
Dax nodded, turned, and headed for the clubhouse. Buzzard followed. I kept my distance as we went inside and Dax led Buzzard to his office and closed the door.
Half an hour after Buzzard disappeared into Dax's office, I heard laughter. That was a good sign.
The door opened and the two men walked out.
Dax held out his hand and I knew he wanted the phone. I was reluctant to give it to him. It wasn't mine, but when Dax asked anyone for a phone, he got it.
I handed it over. He put it in his back pocket, then asked me to call Rowan down and grab her jacket out of Buzzard's saddlebag.
I raced outside. Sure enough, her jacket was there. Then I went to my room and told her Dax wanted to see her and that he had her phone.
"Is everything going to be alright?" Her voice was weak. She was worried. I wrapped her up in my arms because I couldn't say whether everything was going to be alright or just something. But I'd heard Dax and Buzzard laugh, and I had her jacket in my hands. I assumed the best.
It was only when I released her that she saw the jacket. She grabbed it without a word and rummaged through the pockets, spilling the contents on the bed, then checked through her wallet to see if all her cards and IDs were there.
"All there?" I asked.
"Yeah," she breathed. "I can't believe it. Why?"
I shrugged. "Let's go find out."
"Just Dax?" she asked.
"And Buzzard."
"Buzzard?"
"The guy who owns the bar."
"Oh."
"The killer." Fuck. Why the fuck did I blurt that out?
She went white and sat back on the bed.
Rowan
My head was spinning. The killer was downstairs. Dax had my phone with the photos of the guy I worked for killing a man. The same man who had brought my jacket back with everything intact.
And he wanted to see me? Why?
Spider didn't seem to know what was going on either. I could tell.
So were they going to trade me or something? Was this the start of the end?
I looked down at my feet. I looked back at Spider. I looked at the door. I could feel the panic surging through me. I began to shake, squeezing my hands together in front of my mouth. I didn't know whether to scream or cry.
Spider gently lifted me from the bed and wrapped his arms around me. "Everything will work out fine," he said. "Trust me."
I nodded against him. A minute later I was walking through the door and down the stairs with him behind me.
Did I trust him? I barely knew him.
I saw Dax, and I guessed the other guy was Buzzard.
And then I saw the front door open.
I ran like a fucking sprinter. Out the door, leaping down the steps, and through the front gates.