“Thanks, V. I’ll owe you one.”
“I mean, I like having one over on you, but if you would say, bring me back a signed photo of Kate Beckinsale from the Con, I think I could call it even.”
“How about dinner?”
“With Kate? I don’t think Presley would like that, but you know what, I’ll take it.” Presley would have his balls if he even thought about it, followed by Raze as a punishment for even thinking about someone other than his baby sister. How he managed a threat like Raze, I’ll never understand, but the fact that he is still alive tells me he’s either cracked the code or cheated death.
“Not what I meant, jackass.”
“Too late. That’s my payment,” he laughs into the receiver.
“I’ll see what I can do… Oh, one more thing. Do you happen to have the number for that friend of yours who is a chef in Vegas?”
“You mean, Big Rick? I think he’s the head chef at one of the restaurants at Luxor, actually. Why?”
“Text me his number.”
“That’s an oddly specific request that is unrelated to the first favor you asked. What’s going on?”
“Don’t worry about it,” I fire back. The last thing I need is for him to find out my plans for dinner with Charlotte tonight. She may have wanted it to be a thank-you dinner, but I have other plans. It’s been a long time since a woman has piqued my interest this much, and sharing her with a crowd is the last thing on my mind.
“Spill, or I lose Big Rick’s number.”
“Fine. I’ll text Presley and ask her about Kate.”
“You play dirty, asshole.”
“Learned from the best, dickhead.” My phone vibrates with a new notification. I peer at it and see a text from V with the number.
The shrill cry of an infant rings out shortly after. “Shit,” he hisses. “I’ve gotta go. Either Han woke up Leia, or Leia is hungry. Either way, it’s not good. I’ll call you once I find something on the guys.”
I hang up the phone and sit back, crossing my arms. If I can track down these guys, I’ll make them regret what they did to Charlotte and her friend. No one messes with innocent women on my watch.
THOR
The Nevada sunfeels like a hammer to the skull, each ray beating down on me with relentless precision as I lean against my bike across from Ace's clubhouse. Even hours later, the desert heat already makes the air shimmer, distorting the clubhouse in the distance like some kind of mirage.
I've been here for an hour, tucked into the shadow of an abandoned gas station, watching. The place looks quiet, too quiet, for a chapter that's supposedly making big money moves. Only three bikes are outside the club, the same ones that werethere when I rolled up. Either they're all sleeping off hangovers, or something's not adding up.
My phone vibrates in my pocket. V, probably with information on those assholes from the club. But when I check, it's just a notification about my dinner reservation. Damn, V’s buddy works fast. I hadn’t expected to hear anything back from him until this afternoon. I swipe it away, my mind drifting back to Charlotte.
That hesitant smile when I asked her to dinner. The way she looked at me this morning, confused and vulnerable, but with a steel underneath that impressed the hell out of me.
“Focus,” I mutter to myself, scanning the clubhouse again. I'm not here to daydream about a woman I barely know.
Nothing physical happened between us. Not that I hadn't thought about it. She'd been soft and warm beside me in that bed, her hair smelling like vanilla and whiskey. But I'm not that kind of asshole. Never have been, never will be. A woman who can't consent isn't a woman I want touching me, no matter how beautiful.
The clubhouse door swings open, catching my attention. A prospect in a fresh cut stumbles out. He looks young, too young, like he's barely old enough to drink. His movements are sluggish as he makes his way to a rusted pickup truck parked beside the bikes.
I duck deeper into the shadow as he climbs in and fires up the engine. The truck pulls away, kicking up dust. I memorize the license plate information for V to run later.
My phone buzzes again, this time with a text from Raze.
Anything?
I type back quickly.
Place is dead. Watching. Will update soon.
