Chapter 9 Annie
ANNIE
The last place I ever imagined I’d find myself is on the back of a motorcycle. Which makes the idea of moving in to a motorcycle club compound absolutely ridiculous.
“Is it like on TV?” I ask, looking from Josh to Morris.
While Josh has the sexy bad-boy vibe in spades, Morris looks every bit the craggy, crusty biker.
He’s attractive—don’t get me wrong—with a great body, tattoos, and thick, trim hair that puts him in the silver fox category.
The sun lines around his eyes and his work-weathered hands were formed through years of riding the open road.
The massive man takes one look at Alice, bends over, and bursts into full-belly laughter. “Oh gosh, I wish. The Disciples compound looks more like a day care than a club hangout these days.”
He wipes the corners of his eyes, and I have to laugh with him. His wife Alice is small and sweet, but that doesn’t mean I relish the thought of staying in a man cave full of bikers who don’t have wives and kids to go home to.
“Honey, Josh can stay with you. That’s not a problem. I assume because his place is compromised, too, that’s what you both want.” Alice points to Morris. “And this one will kick the ass of any of those guys who even looks at you funny.”
Josh is oddly silent about the offer they’ve made to the two of us, moving into a vacant room in the Disciples compound while Josh continues to work on my case. It’s generous. It’s practical because it’s the last damn place that anyone would think to look for me.
Even with the doubts I have, it’s clear I have no better options. Unless I want to completely bankrupt myself in a matter of days, moving from one hotel to another.
“And my car?” I ask. “If I bring that along, won’t I just reveal my location to whoever has a tracker on it?”
Josh interrupts then. “Your car can stay here. Anyone who’s watching will figure out quick you’re not living in this strip mall.”
Josh explains that since he’s not sure whether I’ll be safe, for the next few days, he’ll take me to school.
As much as I appreciate the offer, I can’t afford more of Josh’s time.
But this is serious. Really serious. It’s not only my safety that’s at stake, but my future well-being.
If I throw every penny I have at Josh, then what?
Sigh. I don’t like any of it.
But at this point, both my safety and Josh’s are on the line.
What other choice do I have? Even if I can’t afford to pay him for all his time, we both need a safe place to sleep until this gets sorted out.
Or it ends. I shiver at the thought of all the ways this might end, and suddenly living with a bunch of wild bikers sounds a lot more appealing.
“Can I ask how much?” I ask.
“How much?” Morris cocks his chin. “I don’t follow you, sweetheart.”
“She wants to know how much you’ll charge her to stay at the compound,” Josh supplies.
Alice looks at Morris, who glowers at me with the kind of menacing look I’d hope he’d turn on anyone who threatened my safety.
“We don’t profit off helping our own,” Morris grits out.
He smacks Josh across the chest. “This guy’s not one of us, but he’s close enough.
What we have is ours to share with whomever we choose.
And I’m offering a roof over your head and meals for as long as you both need it.
Understand? I don’t want to hear another word about money.
” He waves a hand at me and turns to Josh.
“You can take Crow’s old room. I’ll talk to Tiny. When are you planning on rolling in?”
Josh looks at me, then back at Morris. “You think Tiny’s going to go for this?”
Morris lifts his brows, and that ends the conversation.
“This afternoon,” Josh confirms. “We have some things to take care of, but we’ll move in today.”
Morris and Josh talk a bit about logistics while Alice comes and loops a hand around my arm.
“Annie, I know you don’t know me, but the MC is family.
And that makes anyone they take under their wing family too.
” She gives me a warm squeeze and then releases me.
“You and Josh should come by our house for dinner sometime, meet my little ones. I have a ten-year-old and a one-year-old. If that doesn’t tell you everything you need to know about our life… ”
I smile. “I’d love that, thank you.” And even though I don’t know this woman from Adam, I mean it. The invitation seems sincere, and I could use some genuine friends right now.
“All right, man.” Morris claps Josh hard on the shoulder and then walks up to me and offers me his hand. “Great meeting you, darlin’,” he says. “I’ll see you at the compound.”
Alice and Morris head out, leaving Josh and me alone. I don’t know what to say, and for a moment, it seems like Josh doesn’t either.
Things have changed.
We’re not just pretending to be a couple so no one asks questions. We’re continuing a lie that is just going to keep growing.
While at the same time, the reality of why we’re doing this is taking me to a dark place. I drop into a chair, grip my knees with my hands, and take a long, deep breath.
“Annie, are you okay? We can put the brakes on this plan anytime. You just say the word.” His brows are knitted together, and I am overcome with gratitude that he’s giving me a choice.
Truth is, I don’t know if I’m okay. I don’t know what I did to get myself into this situation. I’m a nobody. A basic person who wanted to get a degree, make some art, and figure out who I am.
Now there’s a tracker on my car, a stalker on my tail, and I’m about to move in to a compound with biker outlaws.
“Josh, I…I don’t even know what to say. I got you into this…
” I lace my fingers together and glance down.
“I’m grateful there’s a place we can both go to be safe.
But…” I look up and meet his melted-chocolate eyes, “I can’t take their charity.
I can cook and clean. I can make myself useful.
You didn’t sign up for this. You gave me a deal on ten hours of your time, and now look.
” I shake my head. “You have to close your office because of me.”
I think I’m past tears now, though, to be honest, I’m not sad. I’m weary. I’m looking at the mountain ahead of me, and even though I have no strength left to climb it, I know I have to. I don’t have any other option. I’m just sorry that I had to drag anyone else down with me.
He stares at me as though I’ve just offered to climb a pole and give lap dances to every biker in the club.
“You don’t have to do anything, Annie,” he says slowly.
“You didn’t bring any of this on yourself.
You sure as hell didn’t expose me to this weirdo letter-writer.
I have to protect myself, and there’s no way I’m going to leave you now, whether you can pay me as your investigator or not.
” He kneels on the office carpet and looks like he wants to touch me, take my hand, but he doesn’t.
He stands back up and shoves his hands deep into his pockets.
“I promised to keep you safe. There’s no price tag on that promise, babe. ”
Suddenly, the tension between Josh and me is as hot as the Florida sunshine. I don’t know what I said or what’s changing between us, but it suddenly hits me that we’re going to be holed up together, I bark out a nervous laugh.
“I guess it’s a good thing we’re pretending to be together,” I say, my voice shaking slightly. “I don’t know who Crow is, but I’m grateful he won’t be needing his room for a while.”
Josh licks his lips, and all I can feel is the throb of heat between my legs. “Let’s do this,” he says, turning suddenly and heading into his office. “I need to make a sign for the door, grab my shit. You need to put everything you brought from the hotel and everything in your trunk into my truck.”
He’s all business again, and I wish we could have spent a few more minutes in that sexy, sweet space. Where I could indulge in the fantasy that Josh is mine and that he really will protect me because he wants to, not because I hired him.
“Did you check out of the hotel?” he asks as he rummages through the drawers of his desk.
“Yeah, but only after I cleared out the minibar and trashed the room. I hope you don’t mind.”
He has his laptop in his hands, and he freezes, looks at me, and then shakes his head. A low rumble of a laugh slips from between his lips.
“Annie Hancock,” he breathes. “You’re something else.”
He unplugs the coffeemaker, tapes a handwritten sign facing outward on the door, then puts a hand on the small of my back.
“You ready?” he asks. “Make sure you grab your parking pass from your car.”
I nod, the reality slowly hitting me. “I’m going to have to talk to my dad, aren’t I?”
He locks his inner office and slings a dark-brown leather messenger bag over his chest. “We can talk about it. I think we’ll have lots of time to talk about what comes next.”
I watch as he turns out the lights and locks up his office.
I can see Alice standing in the office next door.
She and Morris are kissing, and he’s got his hands on her ass.
The level of grope that’s going on makes me feel a little guilty.
I shouldn’t be watching Morris grind on his pretty wife, and yet I don’t want to look away. That is what real love looks like.
Marriage, children, a biker, and his babe.
I’ve never seen that kind of love before, and hell, I’ve certainly never seen that kind of lust. It’s more than just sweet. It fills me with a longing so powerful, I’m not sure if I should laugh or cry.
To be loved so deeply and so openly. To have someone I belong to so completely. It’s something I want as much as I want to find myself as an artist.
I don’t think I realized until now that what Morris and Alice have is possible. It’s certainly nothing I ever saw between my parents. I was way too young when Mom died to have even a single memory of what they were like as a couple.