Crash (Black Ice MC Novella Book 2) (11 page)

She was mad at him for what he said, and the way he made her feel, but she was also mad at herself for letting him talk to her that way.
 
If any other man had spoken to her like that, she would be gone.
 
But this wasn’t just any man, this was Mercer.
 
She had thought about him for ten years, had pined for him in high school.
 
It had taken them so long to get together, and she wasn’t going to throw all of it away because of a fight.
 
She had done that her entire life, she wasn’t going to make the same mistake with him.

She finally had to leave at closing time, but decided she still didn’t want to go home.
 
Instead, she drove around town for a while before deciding to stop at a bar.
 
It was a seedy little joint called the Go Go, and as soon as she walked in, she had a sense of pride in her own work.
 
The place was dirty and smelly, full of adolescent, overweight men, most of whom made no attempt to hide the fact they were checking her out as soon as she walked in the door.
 
She almost turned around and left, but she didn’t know if another place would be open and she really wanted that drink.

Danni chose a table in the corner, behind a wooden partition, thinking if no one could see her, it might stop some jackass from thinking they had a shot with her.
 
She ordered a double Jack Daniels and a beer.
 
She drank alone for nearly ten minutes before a large man in a dirty flannel shirt approached her.

“Honey, ain’t no way a pretty thing like yourself ought be drinkin’ alone.”

“I’m waiting on someone,” she said, without looking up.

“Somebody that keeps you waitin’ don’t deserve you.”

She didn’t reply.

“Come on, this here’s my favorite song, let’s dance.”

“Hi Danni, sorry I’m late.”

Danni raised her head and saw Cruz standing behind the man.
 
The big guy looked like he wanted to say something, but sized Cruz up and walked back to his pool table.

Cruz sat down.
 
The waitress asked what he wanted.
 
He looked to Danni, who ordered another double Jack and a beer, and Cruz had the same.

“Big day?” Danni asked.

“Yeah, actually.
 
Really big day.
 
We made a move today that’s going to have repercussions, but it needed to be done.”

“I guess tell Mercer to be careful not to get sliced up again.”

The jukebox started playing a Dwight Yoakam song too loud, Cruz had to scoot in closer so he didn't have to yell.

“Things must be rocky, with him sleeping in the clubhouse.”

“I don’t really want to talk about it with you.”

“Fair enough.
 
You want me to leave?”

“No you can stay.
 
Just shut up.”

They put down their whiskeys and beers and ordered another round.
 
Finally Cruz said, “I’m not sorry about the other day.
 
You can be pissed at me if you want, but I’m glad it happened.”

“Good for you,” said Danni.

“Look me in the eyes and tell me you regret it.”

Danni looked him square in the eye and said, “I honestly haven’t thought about it.
 
If you haven’t noticed, there’s been more important shit going than kissing you.
 
I came here with a man who just got cut up so badly he almost died, and instead of having some goddamn common sense and leaving town, he went out and did whatever stupid-ass things you did today.”

Danni shot her double whiskey in one gulp,

“But no,” she said. “I don’t regret it happening.
 
It was the nicest thing that’s happened to me since I got here.”
 

“You really want to leave?” asked Cruz.

Danni was drunk now, slurring her words.
 
“It doesn’t matter what the hell I want.
 
I don’t get this shit with rival gangs.
 
None of you are from here, you have no fucking stake in this town.
 
Let the damn Rattlers have it.
 
Load up a damn truck and find some other piece of shit town.”

Cruz downed his whiskey and shot back, “You don’t know a damn thing about MCs.
 
It’s about being a part of something greater than yourself.
 
To be really count on someone, no matter what.
 
To be in it, no matter how tough it gets.”

Danni poked him in the chest.
 
“That’s a relationship.”

She threw money down on the table and walked out the door.
 
Cruz followed her outside.
 
He grabbed her and spun her around, kissing her again.
 
She knew he would.
 
She left in a dramatic way so he would chase her, because, after all the fighting with Mercer, she very much needed to know that someone would come running after her again.
 
She made no attempt to break it off this time.
 
She wanted the feel of his strong arms around her while her own hands slid up his back to his muscular shoulders.
 

They kept kissing until someone spoke behind them.

“I hate to break up a party, but we need to talk.”

Danni saw a man in a cheap dark suit standing near a dark sedan.
 
He made no move to identify himself, but Danni had known enough cops to recognize one.
 
She thought for sure Cruz was about to be arrested, but the cop made no move for a gun or handcuffs.
 
Instead, Cruz went to him.

“You OK to drive?” Cruz asked Danni.

“Yeah.”
 
She wasn’t really sure about that, but she didn’t want to admit it in front of the cop, even if the cop wasn’t paying any attention to her.

Cruz walked to the sedan and the cop opened the back door.
 
Cruz got in, and from the dome light, Danni could see another man sitting in the back holding a folder, reading whatever was in it, not even bothering to look up when Cruz got in.
 

The cop shut the car door and looked to Danni.

“Goodnight, miss.
 
Drive safely.”

Danni held his gaze, then got into her car.
 
She started it up, flipped on the lights, then left the parking lot.
 
She drove up the road a bit, then made a U-turn and headed back towards the bar.
 
She shut off her headlights when she got close and pulled into the gravel lot across the street as quietly as she could.
 
She parked behind a large bush, hoping it was enough to cover her.

She was too far away to hear anything, so she didn’t get out the car. She just watched the cop car and did her best to see what was going on.
 
From the lights outside the bar, she could see the cop in the front seat, with Cruz and the other man in back.
 
They stayed just like that for twenty minutes, then Cruz got out.
 
Before shutting the door, he turned back and ducked down to say something to the men, then shut the door and got on his bike.
 
He looked irritated, but not angry or frightened like Danni assumed he’d be.
 

He started his bike and took off.
 
The cops started their car and headed in the opposite direction.
 
Danni started her own engine and went in the direction Cruz had gone.
 
She assumed he was going back to his apartment and saw she was right when she spotted his bike parked out front.

She wanted to know what had just happened, but didn’t want to go upstairs right away.
 
She knew she was confused and had been drinking.
 
She didn’t think it was a good idea to be in his place with just the two of them.
 
Yes, she had kissed him, but that was the line.
 
She could forgive herself for that, but nothing more.
 
But still, the thought of his arms wrapped around her, his lips on hers, was very nice.
 
Especially after everything with Mercer.

She climbed the steps and lightly knocked on the door.
 
It came open suddenly and Cruz looked like he was going to start yelling until he saw it was Danni.

“Expecting someone else?” she asked.

“Um, no.
 
Just settling down for the night and I thought you were the neighbor complaining about the volume on the TV again.”

He moved to the side and let her in.
 
Once she was in, he took a quick look around then shut the door.

Danni got right to the point.
 
“Who were those men?”

Cruz got a beer from the fridge and offered one to Danni, but she refused.
 
She knew more drinking was a bad idea.

“Just some guys.
 
Guys I knew from a long time ago and they keep popping up.
 
I owe them money and they wanted to collect.”

“Money, huh?
 
You borrow money from cops?”

The look on his face told her she was right, but he kept to his story.

“They weren’t cops.
 
That guy was my bookie.
 
I owe him a few thousand dollars.”

“You’re a bad liar.
 
You’re working for the cops.
 
You have been from the beginning.”

Danni made to leave, but Cruz grabbed her arm.
 
She reared back and planted a fist in his stomach.
 
The last time a man put his hands on her was Tank when he had taken her hostage.
 
She vowed never to put herself in that kind of situation again.
 

Cruz wasn’t expecting the punch and bowled back onto the couch.
 
Danni was on her way out the door when she saw his keys on the coffee table.
 
She grabbed them and was out the door before Cruz caught his breath.
 
She bounded down the stairs and got on his motorcycle.
 
On the way out to Rawlins, Mercer had taught her to ride.
 
She wasn’t an expert, but she knew enough to get to the clubhouse.
 
She kicked the bike to life and took off just as Cruz was making his way down the steps.

Mercer, Doc, and Red were sorting through the weapons, taking an inventory of what they wanted to keep and what to sell.

“Tell me again why Cruz got out of this?” asked Red.

“Got a call, said it was an emergency,” said Mercer.

“Don’t know what it could’ve been.
 
He don’t know anybody in town,” said Doc.
 
“Except us.”

They heard a bike pull up out front.

“Might be him now,” said Red.

“Might be the Rattlers.
 
Go check it out,” ordered Mercer.

Before they could move, Danni came bursting through the door.
 
Mercer immediately stood up.
 
From the look on her face, he knew she hadn’t come here to continue their fight, she had something she needed to tell him.

“We need to talk.
 
Cruz is working with the police.”

There was a pause in the room.
 
It seemed like no one was even breathing.

“How do you know?” asked Mercer.

“I saw him.
 
Just about an hour ago.
 
He sat in their car and talked to them for a while.
 
I confronted him about it, but I could tell he was lying.”

“Hang on a second,” said Doc.
 
“I’ve known the boy for years.
 
He’s not a cop.”

“I don’t think he’s a cop.
 
I just think he’s talking to them.”

“Whatever.
 
He’s MC through and through.
 
The boy was raised in places like this.”

“Yeah, raised in an MC, with an MC father who beat the shit out of him on a regular basis.
 
Who scarred him for life.
 
How much loyalty do you think he has?”

“How do you know so much about him?” asked Mercer.

Danni realized she had tipped her hand.
 
She needed to tell them about Cruz’s past, but in doing so, she had revealed that they’d been spending time together.

“You haven’t been around,” said Danni.
 
“I made a friend.”

Mercer gave her a cold, accusing look.

“If you want to say something, say it,” said Danni.

Cruz appeared in the doorway.
 
All eyes turned to him.
 

“It’s not what you think.”

“Those weren’t cops?” asked Danni.

“They were FBI, yeah.”

“And you’ve been talking to them?”

 
“Yeah, I have.”

Red said, “Shit’s starting to make sense.
 
Cruz’s shot a guy on the street.
 
Blew his fucking head off, and we never heard anything about it.
 
Nobody came sniffing around, nothing.”