Bumpy Ride (Category 5 Knights MC Romance Book 3) (3 page)

A
good deed
never goes unpunished. I never should have been nice to Raven; she’s sticking to me like gum on the sole of my boot. Kid’s so attention starved, it’s like kicking a puppy to push her away.

Unlike Peanut, my other newly adopted friend, I don't really care for fireworks. The only reason I'm here is to take advantage of this big gathering to reach out to the Iron Tornadoes.

Now I’ve rested enough. All my ducks are in a row… ready to work at my command. It’s finally time to find Bunny… figure out what she’s doing. I want, even need her back. The craving I have for this woman is so fucking weird. It's like no one else can spark any interest. The club's Sweet butts have tried their best, but now they've about given up on me.

The only one who's still trying is Raven.

Because I've gone soft? Fuck me, I've gone way beyond the call of duty by treating her to a light dinner in one of the specialty booth set up by the beach for the evening. I shouldn't have. Now no matter what I say, I can't seem to shake her loose.

"Why don't you go join the rest of the crowd?" I ask pointing in the direction of the spot on the beach where the Knights have set camp.

Raven shakes her head and gives me her best smile.

"I'm having fun with you," she says batting her lashes. "I'm happy to stick around whatever you wanna do."

I resist the impulse to roll my eyes at her. Even though she's nineteen, when I look at her I see a child and I'm no cradle robber. My taste goes to women. Round, luscious, grown up. Not kids. She’s cute, but no.

On the other hand, I noticed one of the prospects is sweet on her. He looks at her with adoring eyes, but so far he hasn't made a move. Poor guy is terrified by her father. Can't say I blame him, even I find Thor a bit intimidating.

The man’s not running for father of the year title. He’s as indifferent to the twin boys his new Old Lady popped out that he is to Raven.

From the road, I scan the crowd looking for an Iron Tornadoes patch, but I can't see a thing. I leave the asphalt to walk on the beach and Raven catches my arm. She leans against me more than necessary to remove her heels and follows me dutifully like an obedient puppy.

I give up for now and lead her back to the fold. Most of the members of the MC have set up camp on the beach. The younger kids are running around in the sand, delighted with the opportunity to keep on playing past their bed times. It's chilly, well, by Florida standards at least, and we're all bundled up.

"What would be nice would be a campfire," I say to no one in particular as I reach for one beer from the cooler. I hesitate, normally I’d take two and give one to Raven, but she’s like a stray. If I want her to go away, I’ve got to stop feeding her.

"Fires aren’t allowed on the beach," Raven says.

"So? Didn't stop the Tornadoes from building one," Belle notes looking from us to another side of the beach.

Piston laughs and says, "It sure helps having a cop as a member of your team." He points to a very tall guy who's standing next to a raging fire. "See that guy? That's Everest, he’s their Prez’s brother. And a cop; works for the Point Lookout Force. One foot on each side of the fence."

I observe the giant as pulls a woman to her feet. She come closer to the flames. He rubs her shoulder as she leans against him. Fuck that’s
my
Bunny!

"Oh, how sweet," Belle says. "Everest and Bunny are back together!"

My teeth clench as I squint at the couple.

What is she doing leaning into that man.

Without turning to look at Belle, I ask, "Bunny?"

"Bunny's the eldest of the Ryan girls," she explains. "She's MC royalty, so to speak. I know her cause we grew up together in Point Lookout. I went to school with her and Birdy. They have a younger sister called Kitty and then another bunch of sisters but much younger, by a different mom."

I ask, "So, Bunny and Everest?" It's all the prompt Belle needs to go on.

She shakes her blond mane and continues, "Yeah, those two were an item all through high school. I thought they had called it off when Everest left for college. I remember a few years back he was engaged to a girl from Miami. Guess that didn't work out."

Belle's a happy soul and probably doesn't think of relaying this information as gossip.

Sitting next to her, Holly says, "The furthest I've ever driven is Orlando. Some days I wish I could have gone to college and visited other parts of the country, but most of the time I figure, I have all I need in Defiance."

Her wistful tone catches Chaser attention and reels him in like a hooked fish. He crouches before her and grabs a fistful of her hair. He tilts her head and looks at her hungrily.

"You better believe it, sweetheart. All you’ll ever need is right here."

As he bends over to kiss her, the kids around us make gagging noise. The scene is too mushy for them. I turn back in the direction of the fire. And all I see now are silhouettes against the light of the flames. I resist the urge to walk over and claim my girl. I know better. This is not the right time, not the right place.

I hate to admit it but I need to figure this out ... We're at peace with the Tornadoes. Chaser and Piston have a few deals going with them. I'm too new to the chapter to jeopardize the situation of the club over a piece of ass no matter how juicy it is.

I grind my teeth. Who am I kidding? Bunny's more than just a piece of ass.

Making a mental note to question Belle to get more intel on Bunny, I finish my beer and settle on the sand to watch the fireworks. Raven comes to me with another bottle and finds a spot very close to me. She shivers a bit and without thinking, I put an arm around her shoulders.

When she leans against me for warmth, I make two New Year's resolution.

First, and foremost, get my girl.

Second, stop feeding the strays.

T
he beach turns
dark and the only spots of light, aside from the street lampposts on the road, is the campfire we have built. I lean against Everest who pulled a cozy blanket from his saddle bag and wrapped it around me.

Ice and Lisa arrive just before the show begins.

"Where were you?" Everest asks his brother.

"Visiting the Knights," Lisa answers for him. She's been doing that a lot lately, the answering for him, and surprisingly it doesn't seem to get on his nerves as I suspected it would.

"Yeah, we've got a few projects with them," Ice adds.

Everest raises a questioning eyebrow and Ice shrugs away his silent interrogations, "You don't wanna know, Officer Hatcher."

"If you say so, Prez," Everest answers with good humor.

"We met one of their new members," Lisa says.

"Oh yeah?" I already know what's coming and I want to punch Everest for fishing for information.

"Yeah, his name is Doc and he's a real doctor," she says. "He'll be working at the Point Lookout hospital part-time and is thinking of starting his own practice in Defiance."

Wow! Doc is a real MD! I thought Doc was just a nickname he'd picked up while in the military working as a medic. So much for knowing anything about him. I guess there are things he never got around to telling me. But then again, talking was not our main occupation when we ended up alone together.

"I think it's a great idea," Lisa continues. "Defiance could definitely use a general practitioner."

As Ice and Lisa are called away, Everest asks, "Do you wanna go over and see him?"

I shake my head vigorously.

"Why not?"

"’Cause I refuse to be like my mother." My tone is more abrupt than I want it, but my friend gets the message.

He was around to see what a spectacle my mother made of herself after Dad left. She'd always turned a blind eye to the Sweet butts and all the affairs he'd had when he was married to her.

Somehow he'd managed to convince her that when you married a biker, that was the norm. In hindsight, it probably was at the time, but it tore her apart every time he came back after a crazy night smelling of another woman's perfume.

After a while, he started staying away more often. As far as we were concerned, the parents acted as if everything was normal.

"Daddy is away a lot because he needs to travel," they would say. If my sisters fell for it, I sure didn't. I knew better, 'cause often enough, walking back from school, I would see him ride through town while he was supposed to be away.

Of course, I never said anything to my mother. I could see in her eyes that she knew already and was struggling to keep it together.

Then he stopped coming home altogether. Soon after, Mom found out there was another woman carrying his jacket and his child. That's when she lost it. When Dad would come around to see us, she would go half insane.

She cajoled, pleaded, begged, threatened and then begged again. Sometimes she managed to coax him into staying the night. That was the worst. Like rubbing salt into her wound since he never stayed more than one night.

Almost two decades have past, and still, just thinking about it makes me shudder. Everest studies my expression gravely. I know he understands. He was there. He saw it all. She loved my dad so much that she had no pride left. She even confronted him in public at the clubhouse.

So no, I don't want to turn into such a horrible mess. I will never, ever, beg a man to stay with me. I will never, ever, try, as my mother did, to use a child as leverage to keep a man.

"Guilt shouldn't be the cement that keeps a family together," I tell him.

He nods but doesn't give up.

"Come on, Bunny, you know me better than that. I'm not telling you to guilt him into coming back to you. What I'm saying is he has a right to know."

I think about it and I'm not sure.

As if reading my mind, Everest argues with my silence.

"If not for him, then you should do it for the kid. You know, so that the child has a least an opportunity to have a father."

Thankfully his pleading is interrupted by the first salvo of fireworks. We lie on the sand and look up to the sky. The show is lovely. I watch the colorful bursts and join the "aww" and "oohs" of the crowd.

At the end of the show, Birdy has vanished. I wonder who she's gone with, but if I want to know I'll have to ask her myself since no one noticed her leaving.

Everest walks me to my car at the hotel lot. Birdie's car is still there. She probably found someone to take her to the party at the MC and will come for her ride tomorrow.

Thankfully I don't have to work for the rest of the week. I'm so tired, I will probably sleep away most of it.

"You're not coming to the party, are you?" Everest asks.

I laugh and admit the idea of joining a loud bunch of drunk bikers to celebrate the passing of the old year and welcome the new one is not tempting, at all, right now.

"Nope, what I long for is a warm bath with delicious smelling salt and then I'll sleep or watch a silly show on television."

"So you're gonna be okay all by yourself?"

"Sure, and you know, Mom and Kitty are just a phone call away." I reassure him. "What about you?"

"I'll probably turn in early as well," he says. "I'm going to Miami in the morning."

"Going to see Kristal?"

He nods and a smile illuminates his face at the very mention of her name.

"How is she?" I want to take back my question. His girlfriend is doing time in a correctional facility, and I know it's difficult for both of them. It's especially hard on him since he put her there. He tries to catch up by going to visit her every chance he gets.

"She's doing okay," he says. "All things considered, she got a good deal and should be released soon."

"Oh, that's great news!" I squeeze his hand and put a kiss on his cheek. "Well, tell her I'm happy she's holding up and look forward to seeing her again."

"Will do." He closes my door and waits for me to drive away.

I roll down my window and say, "You'll see, this year will be the best ever!"

He laughs at my burst of optimism, but I'm convinced it's going to get better. At least for him, since his girlfriend is getting out of jail. And as far as I'm concerned, things will really get interesting.

I smile to myself and pat my belly.

Yep, I'm not alone. I have a fabulous family. I have incredible friends. I can make this work with or without Doc.

But I would rather do it with him.

"
I
s
it okay if I leave now?" I ask my boss.

He looks at his watch and frowns as if my request was totally unreasonable.

"If you must." His condescending tone makes me want to scream, but it's my fault. When I started, I never counted my hours. It took me a few months to realize my efforts would never be acknowledged or appreciated.

Now that I am aware of how self-centered the man is, a course correction is in order. This gal won't be caught volunteering unpaid overtime. Nope, I won't be taken for granted.

Well, that's what I keep telling myself, but today, again, I got sucked into helping him finish a report due a week ago. I could very well do his job, but since I'm not getting his salary, I don't see why I should.

My hours are nine to five, not nine to six or seven. So now that it’s almost six, I'm going. An annoyed sigh chases me out the door as I close it. I refuse to be lured back to work. I don't care. I won't hold his hand any longer. At least, not tonight.

Yesterday, Everest gave me an ultimatum. Either I went to talk to Doc tonight or he would ride to the Knights’ compound himself over the weekend and give him the news.

The drive to Defiance is short, but once I arrive, I get lost. Everest's direction are a bit too fuzzy for me. I drive around and can't seem to find the road to the Old Macmillan's farm.

I'm about to give up when I pass an inviting looking diner. Neon signs flash the words
Trucker's Heaven
. The old place is full. Maybe someone will know their way around and help me find the right road.

Also, I badly need to stop. When I drive, it's like the baby sits directly on my bladder.

As soon as I push the door, a woman's voice calls out my name. "Bunny, it's so nice to see you again!"

I turn and look at the waitress coming to me with opened arms. It takes a couple of second before I recognize her. In my memory, Belle has this huge mess of blond curls. It's like a work of art that always looks fabulous, as if she just stepped out of some fancy hair dresser's chair to walk onto a movie set.

Today her hair is covered by some sort of net and tied up in a bun on top of her head. It's probably more practical for work and it shows her lovely face in a new light.

"Belle Hutchinson," I answer returning her hug. "It's been ages." I take a step back to get a better look at her. "You're looking amazing. You haven't changed a bit!"

She laughs and points to my belly. "I see you're picking up where I left off!"

"Indeed, I am!" I concede. "How is your baby boy?"

"He's good and growing way too fast for my taste." She beams as she tells me all about little Peter.

I count back in my head, but can't figure out his age. Five or six? Seeing her brings flash memories of high school and her passionate relationship with her boyfriend. Peter ... I can't remember his last name. He was a sweet boy. We were all friends before heroin became his only love. He died of an overdose just when Belle realized she was pregnant.

"What brings you to this neck of the wood?" Belle asks.

"I'm looking for the Old Macmillan farm," I tell her.

"Oh, you're here on business to visit the Knights."

"Sort of." I do not volunteer any further information. I'll let Doc decide what he wants to say to his club.

After visiting the facilities, I take notes of the directions which are more specific than the ones I had before. Must be something gender related cause she doesn't say,
turn left after an eighth of a mile
but turn left ar
the second light after the pizza place...

We exchange phone numbers and promise to call each other soon. As I leave, she asks, "How's Everest?"

"He's good," I say. "He's gone to Miami to pick up his girlfriend. He's really excited she's moving in with him."

Belle's mouth forms a pretty little
O
giving away her surprise. Her eyes run up and down from my belly to my face and I can read her mind.

"Oh, no, he's not the dad," I say and rush out the door before she asks for more.

"Don't be a stranger, now," she calls out as I walk away.

Belle's directions get me to Knights territory within a few minutes. I park my car next to three others and step out toward the main building. The tables and benches next to it lead me to believe it's the clubhouse.

Before I get to it, a woman comes out of the building.

"Can I help you?" she asks with a big smile. She's wearing the same color apron Belle was wearing at the diner. The embroidery on the lapel identifies her as Holly.

"Yes, I'm looking for Doc."

"Sure, let me walk you to his place," she says pointing to the direction I just came from. "I'm on my way out, but it's just by the parking lot."

"You work at Trucker's Heaven with Belle?"

Holly smiles and frowns at the same time studying my face. "Do I know you?"

"I'm an old friend. Just saw her there at work. I had lost my way." My explanation doesn't help cause Holly looks even more puzzled. "It's the uniform ..." and then Holly gets it and laughs.

"I was wondering if you're psychic or something." Before I can point out it’s observation, she shows me the door to a building I walked passed earlier and says, "In there. His room is the second one on the left."

I pause to gather my courage and make my way in what must have been living quarters for the staff when the farm was operating. A hallway runs through the entire length of the construction, and I can count a half dozen doors on each side.

I knock on the second one on the left and a woman's voice answers, "Yeah."

Opening the door to a large bedroom, the first thing that hits me is the smell. It's all Doc. I don't know what it is, his shaving soap or his shampoo, but the smell hits me in the gut. It's manly and clean and so delicious. I wish I had brought an empty jar to capture it and take it home.

And then I see her, laying on the bed with a book in her hand. She's the girl who was riding with him on New Year's Eve. Her Goth look is even more impressive from close up. Everything about her is dark, as if she's absorbed all the light around her and turned it into gloom. Black hair, dark clothes, charcoal eyes, almost purple lips.

"What do you want?" Even her voice is dark. Angry.

"I was looking for Doc."

"Well, you can see, he's not here." She shrugs and looks back to her book.

"Know when he'll be back?"

"Nope," she answers without even looking up.

I dig through my bag for a piece of paper and a pen. I write my name and home number on it. I want to give it to her, but she's back in her book making a big show of ignoring my presence.

So instead of handing it to her, I slip the paper on the bedside table underneath the alarm clock.

"Could you please tell him Bunny came by?" I ask. "I would appreciate it if he could call me."

"Uh uh."

I turn and close the door behind me. I hold myself together until I reach my car. I drive away as sedately as possible so nobody watching can see how upset I am and then I stop on a dirt road. Only there do I let my rage explode.

As if the frustration from work were not enough, I had to run into that arrogant bitch. I bang my fist against the steering wheel and scream out my anger.

I'm not sure whom I'm angriest at.

Everything and everyone.

I'm angry at myself first for getting caught. I was so sure we had never been careless, but I should have known better. Even in the heat of the moment, the woman needs to check that protection is used.

I'm angry at Doc for making me believe he cared and would come back for me. I wasn't asking for promises. He shouldn’t have given me hope if it was to snatch it away so quickly.

And finally, I'm so, so mad at Everest for making me look for Doc.

The last thing I needed was the humiliation of facing his new girl. Because she has to be his new girl. Who else but a girlfriend would be in his room, lying on his bed while he's out?

At the end of the day, I know it's all my fault.

With each kiss, I felt love.

With each caress, I heard a promise.

I was so sure I wasn't dreaming, but I should have known better. Why do I hear more than what is being said. I need to listen better.

No words were ever used to plan for tomorrows. It was all in my head.