My romeo, p.2
My Romeo, page 2
“Perfect,” I sang. “Call me back.” I ended the call and tossed my phone on the bed.
I hated lying to Sloane, but I had to.
I didn’t have any other choice.
My father had made that very clear.
Crystal clear.
“Find out what they are up to.”
I cocked my head to the side. “What do you mean? They are a motorcycle club, Dad. They ride motorcycles and run a garage.” There really wasn’t much to what they did. It was a boys club.
Dad shook his head and took a sip of his whiskey on the rocks. “I didn’t raise you to be this naïve, Dove.”
He hadn’t, but I had spent time with the Iron Fiends. They weren’t up to anything. “You really think they are up to something with the filming of a reality show? They’re just going to try not to look like fools.” And good luck to them on that.
Dad shook his head.
“And why do you care if they are up to anything?” I demanded. “I haven’t seen or talked to you for months, and suddenly, you kidnap me because you want to know what the Iron Fiends are up to? You’re the attorney general of Texas. Ask them yourself. God knows you have the power to.” As far as I was concerned, Dad had all of the power with the state of Texas behind him.
“I didn’t kidnap you, Dove, and I can talk to them only when I have cause. I don’t have that.” He tipped his head to the side. “Yet. If I get the Iron Fiends, I’ll be a shoo-in for US attorney general.”
I ran my fingers through my hair and sighed. As if I cared about Dad becoming US attorney general. “This is ridiculous. I don’t want anything to do with your job, Dad. I thought I made that pretty clear when I moved away and distanced myself from you.” Being the perfect daughter while living under a microscope was not my cup of tea. I had lived that life for twenty years, and I had been done with it for the past eight. When my mom died, her funeral was a circus and publicity stunt for my dad. He had become the grieving star attorney who was favored by the governor to become the Texas state attorney general.
“I need your help.”
“The Iron Fiends are not up to anything illegal that concerns you, Dad,” I pleaded. “They are just a motorcycle club.”
He splayed out his hands. “Then, if that is true, you finding out what they are up to shouldn’t be a problem.”
“Sloane is dating one of the members, Dad, not me. I can’t exactly just barge in there and ask them what they’re doing while we drink margaritas and braid each other's hair.” Sure, I had spent time with the club when we had been at the hotel for the book signing, but that was weeks ago. Plus, it wasn’t like the clubhouse was just down the street, and I could just pop in. It was over an hour away.
Dad shook his head. “I need your help, and you are going to help me.”
“Or what?” I asked.
“Or everything you have will be gone. That nice apartment, car, and trust fund will all disappear. That shitty job you love so much will be the only income you have.”
“You can’t do that,” I insisted. “At least not my trust fund. That is from Mom.”
Dad shrugged. “It may be from your mother, but I am the one who is the trustee. I say who gets what and when.”
“Mother left that money for me, Dad,” I insisted.
He sat back in his chair. “Find out what the Iron Fiends are up to, and I’ll sign the whole thing over to you.”
I tipped my head to the side. “You’ve always told me you can’t do that. I only get my set amount every month, and that’s it.”
He pursed his lips. “Your mother had a clause added that says if I think you are ready for the whole amount, you can have it.”
I reared back. “Are you serious?” I demanded. “I’m twenty-eight years old, Dad! How on earth do you think that I am not prepared to take care of my own trust?” For years, he had held the trust over my head. I couldn’t do anything with it without his permission. I always thought if my mother knew how big of a dick he was being with the money, she would roll over in her grave and come beat his ass.
“Prove it to me,” he offered. “You do this for me, and your trust will be yours to do what you want with.”
“All of it?” I asked.
He nodded and took a sip of his drink. “All of it.”
The phone ringing knocked me out of my daydream, and I scrambled for the phone. “Yeah?” I called.
“I’ll be there in an hour. I need to finish up some laundry and pack. Aero wasn’t too happy about not picking me up, but I promised him some alone time when we got there later.”
“Girl,” I laughed. “How are you still doing laundry? You knew all week that you were heading to the clubhouse. And Aero can have you the second we get there. Maybe I can get Dice, Fade, and Pirate to play poker with me.”
“I forgot,” she mumbled.
I shook my head. “I think you mean you got caught up in a good book, and suddenly it’s Friday afternoon with a finished book and a pile of dirty laundry.”
“I plead the fifth,” she muttered. “Be ready in an hour. I’m just slowly rolling by, so be ready to tuck and roll into the car.”
She ended the call, and I got back to packing.
I wasn’t sure how I was going to go about finding out if the Iron Friends were up to no good, but I knew I would need to be adequately dressed. Maybe even a little sexy, too?
I flopped onto the bed and let out a strangled cry.
What on earth was I getting myself into?
My gut told me the Iron Fiends were clean, and I wasn’t going to have anything to report back to my dad, but there was a little pit in my stomach, afraid that I was going to blow up not only the Iron Fiends but also the happiness Sloane had found with Aero.
I was either going to save the day or be the villain in everyone's story.
Chapter Three
Throttle
“Camera crew leave?”
I nodded and cracked open my beer. “Yup. They said they’ll be back in the morning, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t being recorded.” I nodded to the corner. “Say cheese.”
Smoke flipped off the camera in the corner and climbed onto a stool next to me. “Eight weeks up yet?” he grunted.
“I thought I was the only one who wasn’t down with this show?” I asked.
Smoke shrugged. “I don’t really care either way, but if Yarder is going to keep riding my ass about not cussing and spitting, then I might disappear for the next few weeks.”
If only that were possible. I had mentioned doing just that to Yarder last week, but he nixed it. When he had signed the contracts with the production company, it had said there would be ten club members. If I vamoosed, the whole club would be fucked. “Just stick to the background, brother. I’m hoping once the newness of having a camera crew floating around the clubhouse and shop wears off, we won’t even notice them.” At least, that is what I kept telling myself.
“You up for a game of poker tonight?” he asked.
I shrugged. “You know I’m always up to take your money.”
The front door to the clubhouse opened, and Sloane walked in with Dove behind her.
“Aero actually let Sloane drive here?” Smoke chuckled.
“What is she doing here?” I grumbled.
“She’s Aero’s ol’ lady, Throttle. It would take an act of god to keep her away from the clubhouse.”
I rolled my eyes and shook my head. “Not her.” I tipped my chin toward Dove. “Her.”
“Her hot best friend?” Smoke brushed off his shoulder and winked. “Not sure, but I can go find out. Maybe she’ll want to play poker with us.”
“No,” I called, but Smoke was already halfway across the clubhouse, headed straight for Dove and Sloane.
I turned on my stool and watched Dove.
Sloane, I liked. Never for a second did I get an off vibe from her.
Dove though? Something had been off about her since the day she just reappeared after disappearing for two weeks.
Her story about visiting family was a bald-faced lie that everyone seemed to fall for except for me.
When I had mentioned to Aero about something being off with Dove, he had told me to chill and let it go. Apparently, everyone thought it was cool for us to search and search for the chick, only for her to show back up with a weak excuse of where she was, and we were supposed to be good with it.
Not me.
“She’s in!” Smoke called. He put his arms around her shoulders and pulled her in for a hug. “Get the cards.”
“I hope you’re ready to get your ass beat,” Dove laughed. She tossed her head back, and I couldn’t help but notice the delicateness of her neck and the sparkle in her eyes. I couldn’t deny that she was easy on the eyes. Something I shouldn’t be noticing when I thought something was off about her.
Great.
And now she was here to play cards on a Friday night. Well, I guess this was one way to try to figure out just what she was up to.
Before she disappeared, she had only been to the clubhouse a time or two. Now she was here, and from the looks of the duffle bag over her shoulder, she would be here for the weekend.
Her black hair was piled on top of her head, with soft tendrils framing her face. She was wearing a pair of skin-tight black pants and a colorful baggy sweater over the top. She had tan boots on her feet and a huge smile on her lips.
If I weren’t suspicious as fuck about her, I would have said she was the hottest chick I had ever laid my eyes on.
You would have to be blind not to recognize her beauty.
Compass, Stretch, and Dice worked on setting up the poker table while Aero and Sloane headed down the hallway to the bedrooms, with Dove drifting behind them.
“You look pissed.” Yarder sat down next to me and nodded to Pirate behind the bar.
“Should I be?” I asked. I turned back to the bar and also nodded to Pirate. He refilled my glass and set a beer in front of Yarder.
“You were doing the right thing with that chick and the orca whale today.”
I glanced at Yarder. “You could have fooled me when you stepped in and shooed me back into the garage.”
Yarder shrugged. “I don’t want us to act differently with the cameras around, but that also doesn’t mean that we can’t try to be better.”
“You don’t make any sense,” I muttered.
“Her name was Poppy. Barely has two nickels to rub together, let alone enough to replace her whole rear end.”
I shrugged and took a drink. “I offered her a payment plan.” That had been before we even knew what was wrong with the car.
“And she took one, finally.”
“What about the loaner?” I asked. We didn’t have loaner cars.
Yarder shifted uncomfortably. “Uh, well, I gave her a ride to work, and I need to pick her up in an hour.”
“Shut up!” I bellowed. “Not only are you giving this chick a payment plan, but you’re also her chauffeur?” Yeah, that was way more than I would have offered her.
“It’s just until we get her car fixed,” Yarder grunted. “It doesn’t hurt to be nice every now and then.”
“I think you are going way above and beyond nice for a chick you don’t even know and who is probably going to default on the payment plan you set up for her.”
Yarder took a long drink. “Well, I guess I’ll deal with that if it happens. For now, she paid for the oil change, and her first payment for the new rear end isn’t due until the first.”
I was mid-drink and about to blow whiskey out of my nose. “It’s the fucking second,” I gasped. The longest I had ever seen Yarder give someone to make their first payment was however long it took to fix the car.
This chick just paid forty dollars for an oil change, and Yarder was going to let her drive out of the garage in a few days with a fixed car.
Fucking wild.
“You do this for the cameras?” I asked.
Yarder shrugged. “Sure.” He grabbed his beer and slipped off his stool. “I’m gonna hit the head, and then your ass better be at the poker table with me.”
I nodded and watched him head to the bathroom. Dove came out of the hallway and looked around the common room for a second. She pursed her lips as if she was analyzing everyone.
Dammit, if she wasn’t hot as hell.
“You in, Throttle?” Smoke called.
Dove jumped at his words and rushed over to the poker table.
Pirate set another drink in front of me with a shit-eating smile on his lips. “You gonna let that girl take everyone's money when you know that is your job?”
Did I want to spend my Friday night playing poker with Dove? No fucking way, but I also wasn’t going to let her be the one to win every hand.
I grabbed the second drink and made my way to the poker table. I plopped down into a chair and glared at Dove. “You sure you’re up for this, doll?”
Dove grabbed the deck of cards and shuffled them between her hands. “I was just about to ask you that same thing, Throttle,” she purred. “I’ve been known to be a kick-ass poker player.”
I twirled my finger in the air. “Deal me in.”
Chapter Four
Dove
I was broke.
Throttle had just taken my last dollar.
“Where is Sloane?” I asked.
Throttle chuckled and leaned back in his chair. “Gonna go ask your friend for a loan?”
I rolled my eyes. “Of course not. I was just wanting to make sure she was okay.” And then ask her for twenty bucks.
“Then you should have asked where she was two hours ago when she slipped off with Aero,” Throttle drawled. “Since you are so concerned about her.”
I turned to Pirate. “Lend me twenty bucks, and I’ll pay you back forty.”
Pirate tipped his head to the side. “I’m guessing math isn’t your strong point, babe.”
It was; I just wanted to wipe the floor with the smirk on Throttle’s face.
The man was driving me insane. And also taking all of my money.
I couldn’t tell you the last time that had happened. Normally, I was the one winning every hand and counting my money all the way home.
Not when I played against the Iron Fiends. Throttle specifically. Yarder had won a few hands when he played, and then even Smoke and Compass had managed to win a few, but Throttle was the one with a tall stack of money in front of him while the rest of us had little to none.
I held my hand out to Pirate, and he slapped a twenty to my palm.
“Take him down, babe,” he laughed. He stood and stretched his arms over his head. “I am out.”
Fade took his spot, and Throttle dealt the cards.
I took a deep breath and turned over my cards.
Flush. A four, eight, six, seven, and two of diamonds.
Not bad, but definitely not great.
I was going to have to pray whatever else Throttle dealt would save me.
We all bet twenty, and I discarded my two, four, and six cards, hoping for some luck.
Throttle dealt me three, and I held my breath as I placed them in my hand.
I made sure to keep my breathing even and not give anything away by the fact I now had a straight flush.
Luck had totally been on my side.
I now had a seven, eight, nine, ten, and jack of diamonds.
This game was mine. There was not much chance that Throttle would beat me unless he had a horseshoe shoved up his butt.
“I’d bet again, but I know you’d all have to fold,” Throttle chuckled. He nodded to Dice to his left. “You first, brother.”
“Fuck this shit,” Dice muttered. He turned over his cards, and he had a pair of fives.
“I think I did a little better than that,” Compass snickered. He laid down three queens.
“Son of a bitch,” Smoke grumbled. He tossed down his cards and stood. “I fucking hate this game.” The best he had was three nines in his hand.
I was next. I took a deep breath and turned over my cards.
Fade whistled low and tossed down his cards face up. “I can’t even come close to competing for that,” he muttered. He had three eights.
It was down to Throttle beating me.
Throttle shrugged and frowned at his cards. “Well, I have to say you really are putting up a good fight, doll.” He laid down his cards and sat back with a shit-eating grin on his face. “But it wasn’t good enough.”
I looked down at his cards, and my blood boiled. “How?” I shouted.
The man had a fucking royal flush.
“Maybe you shouldn’t try to play with the big boys.” He gathered up the last pot and added it to a large pile in front of him. “Better luck next time.” He winked and stuck a toothpick in the corner of his mouth.
How on earth did he manage to get that? I should have won that hand. “Cheater!” I blurted.
“And now Dove has fully experienced what it is like to play poker with Throttle,” Yarder chuckled. He was seated at the bar with Compass sitting next to him. “He’s been kicking our asses for years, babe. We don’t know how he does it, but he always wins.”
“Not all of the time,” Throttle shrugged. “I’m pretty sure you guys won a few hands, too.”
I rolled my eyes and stretched my arms over my head. “Yeah, but then you came back and took all of our money,” I complained.
Sloane walked into the common room with Aero next to her. “So, did she kick all of your asses?”
“Not likely,” Aero mumbled.
Sloane scrunched her nose up at Aero. “I will have you know that Dove used to play semi-professional poker through college.”
“A ringer?” Compass called. “That’s not fair at all.”
“It wouldn’t have been fair if she would have won more than two hands,” Throttle smirked.
Oh, that man drove me crazy.
How could he be so handsome and sexy and then, when he talks, be such a jerk? It was like he didn’t like me, but I didn’t know why he wouldn’t. Sure, I had disappeared for those two weeks, and the club searched for me, but I didn’t ask for that. If I would have known that Sloane would sic the club on me, I would have called her and told her what was going on.
