Biker Bound: The Lost Souls MC Series (12 page)

“I gave them to the prospect while you were getting dressed and it looks like Sparky came along for the ride.”

I watch as Sparky pulls out a chair from another table and drags it across the diner.

“What’re you doing here?” Slade asks him.

“Good mornin’ to you too sunshine,” he laughs, “I was at the motel when the prospect turned up for Kristen’s car.”

I take more interest when Slade asks if he knows any more information regarding the fire yesterday.

“Nothin’, no one saw anything. According to the manager, one minute everything was fine then in the next…boom. The place is on fire.” Sparky replies.

“It was probably kids messing around and it got out of control,” I say, then I regret I opened my mouth at all. They both look at me as if I am crazy.

“Probably sweetheart,” Sparky finally says.

After that I finished my breakfast in silence while Slade and Sparky carried on talking about the motel.

Trying unsuccessfully to get Zachery to eat his pancakes, he pushes his plate away and watches Slade. Being focused on the guys at the table, I hadn’t realized the prospect whose name I don’t know had disappeared to wait at another table. I’m slowly learning how their club works but it feels awkward him sitting by himself. Billy had been a prospect, is this how they treated him too?

“Kristen?” Slade calls out, snapping his fingers in front of my face.

“Sorry.”

“I was asking if you were finished? Spark’s just spoke to Bonnie and she’s up for shopping too if you don’t mind her joining you.”

“Of course not, it’ll be nice to see her,” I smile.

Slade takes care of the bill under my protests of going halves while I wipe Zachery’s sticky fingers clean.

Sparky leaves to wait outside and Slade waits for Zachery and I. As we walk out of the diner, chills run up my spine as Slade places his hand on the small of my back.

“I’ve got some shit to do today but I won’t be late back,” he says, handing over my car keys.

“That’s okay, don’t rush on my account.”

“It seems that I can’t help but rush when I’m with you,” he smirks.

I let brief images flow through my mind of last night, remembering this, I hope not to finish too quickly.

“It does seem that way doesn’t it,” I agree, chuckling.

He leans in and kisses me softly but quickly.

“Go on, get shopping and let me know when you’re back.”

His authoritative tone has the opposite effect on me. Usually I’d go against him for trying to tell me what to do. Sighing heavily, I’ll do what he asks.

Chapter Ten

Slade

In the last month alone nine members of the Devil Bastards have been picked up and shipped off to jail on various charges. It seems like the Lost Souls aren’t the only ones caught up in this shit but everyone who is connected to us as well. We are no closer to finding out who has it in for us or who set fire to Kristen’s motel room.

No one wants a repeat fight we had with the Raging Riders but this bullshit drama that keeps poking up is beginning to wear a lot of my brothers down, including me.

Ricky is still in jail claiming his innocence and while we believe him, his chances of walking free anytime soon aren’t looking good. We’re not relying on the cops to do their job. It will be the Lost Souls who will find out who set Ricky up and by the time we’re finished with them, they won’t be confessing to anything. Until then the only way we can help Ricky now is to find a loop hole in the justice system.

Then there is Kristen. Hot as hell Kristen. She is still staying at my place and while I admit I’m getting used to having her and Zach around. I do feel like she will up and leave at any moment. I can tell she feels like she’s getting in the way and no matter how many times I reassure her that I want her to stay, it doesn’t seem enough.

It isn’t only her body I love to play with, it’s her whole attitude and self-confidence I like. She doesn’t let anything get her down and the way she rolls with life is refreshing. Since our first time together, we have only slept together twice. I sometimes sense she hides behind Zachery, but I know she wants me so I’ll wait for her at her pace. Like I said, she is refreshing.

Unlike now, Linc and some of his guys rode into town an hour ago demanding our help.

He greeted me in respect when they arrived but has stayed clear of me since, I don’t think he has forgotten the last time we met.

Currently Cas and Sparky are trying to assure him we’re doing everything we can to find the culprit setting us up.

“What am I meant to do?” Linc roars in frustration, “Every time one of us leaves, the cops are waiting to pick us up. It’s like they fuckin’ know our every move.”

“Well, if they know all your movements then maybe you’ll have to look a little closer to home?” Sparky warns him.

Linc shakes his head in disagreement and begins pacing the bar again.

“No, I trust every one of my guys. Can you say the same?” he retorts.

“Of course I can,” Cas snapped, “This is gettin’ us nowhere. For the foreseeable I’ll re-arrange our runs, change every date and time and we’ll keep it between us and see what happens then,” Cas offers.

Linc thinks it over and nods his head.

“Why don’t you go and get yourself a drink Linc, I’ll join you in a minute.”

As Linc strolls over to the bar, I join Cas and Sparky at their table. Anyone who knows Cas well, knows that he’s losing his patience with this situation without him having to say a word.

“Do you need me to do anything before I leave?” Sparky asks, standing up ready to go.

Cas’s phone ringing stops him from answering, within seconds anger falls across his face and his knuckles turn white from clenching his hands into fists. Sparky sees this too and sits back down.

He snaps his phone shut and takes a deep breath.

“That was Lana, my house is being raided,” he informs us.

“Nothing came over the scanner, did it?” I ask confused, something like this we would have heard about it before it was happening.

We all look to the bar where the prospect is standing next to the scanner and he shakes his head.

“C’mon, you two are with me. I want to know what the fuck is goin’ on now.”

“Doesn’t it feel like the days when one thing after another just kept fuckin’ us around?” I moan, as I follow Cas and Sparky out of the bar.

“Don’t worry Slade, you’ll be home soon enough,” Sparky points out.

I had hoped to be home by now so I could talk to Kristen, all this pandering around each other is driving me crazy.

“Let’s go, the sooner we get there, the sooner I find out what the fuck is goin’ on.”

Although many of our brothers are here at the club today, only Sparky and I are going with Cas, Linc continued to drink at the bar with Oak and Pope. I don’t think he had any intentions of joining us.

Cas and Alannah’s home is usually only a fifteen minute ride from the club but today we made it there in eight minutes. With the law busy raiding Cas’s place there was no one around to cite us for speeding.

Riding up to the house was unusually quiet for a supposed raid. All three of us looked to each other in confusion as we stopped and parked our bikes.

Alannah threw open the door and looked extremely pissed.

“What’s goin’ on babe? There’s no one here.” Cas asked her, making his way up the porch steps.

“That’s because they didn’t find anything and when they heard me on the phone to you, they left without so much as a goodbye,” she huffed.

Sparky and I followed them into the house to find the place had been turned upside down. Drawers emptied on the floor, kitchen cupboards open and in disarray, everything was out of place.

“It’s going to take hours to put everything back in its place, I’ve only just got the place how I like it,” she moans, looking around.

“Don’t worry about that now, tell me what the fuck happened,” Cas growled.

“It was Jake and the whole of the local sheriff’s office. They showed up with a warrant after they had a tip off that you were concealing weapons here,” she explained, “Obviously they didn’t find anything and left, I don’t think they wanted a showdown with you guys.”

Cas growled in anger and frustration and threw the framed photograph he held in his hand across the room.

“Hey! I don’t need you making anymore mess,” Alannah snapped.

“Sorry babe.”

He braces his arms on the doorframe and closes his eyes, trying to reign in his temper.

“Okay…Whoever this fucker is, he isn’t invincible. It has to be someone who knows how we work. I hate to admit it but maybe we should be looking closer to home.”

I hated to agree but there was little choice left. Sparky lifted one of the chairs and set it down straight, when he is seated he speaks for the first time since we arrived.

“If it someone close to us, they know what will happen when we catch them. Can you think of any of our brothers who could have it in for us?” he asks.

“I can’t think of anyone in our club who would go against us, maybe we should be looking at Linc and his guys. Apart from them there isn’t anyone who knows our business,” I Offer. I wouldn’t have put it past one of the newer members to go against us if they were approached for the right amount of cash.

“Linc has been patching in members left right and centre these days, it’s not like we know them that well.”

Cas agrees, “Okay, Slade, look into every member of the Devils Bastards, check to see if any debts have been paid off recently, you know what to look for. Do it from home, if we’re wrong I don’t want anyone seeing what you’re doing at the club.”

“Okay, I’ll let you know what I find.”

After making my way out of the house, the fresh air is a welcome force to try and clear my head.

It isn’t exactly what I wanted to be doing in the same house as Kristen but at least I’ll be with her.

All the way home, I run through as many names as I could recall from the Devils Bastards and the ones I’m not sure of I will have to find out from Cas.

Parking my bike in the drive by my house, I notice Kristen’s car isn’t parked in its usual spot. I remember her saying she was spending the afternoon with Bonnie.

After brewing a pot of coffee, I make myself comfortable at the kitchen table and power my laptop up.

Kristen

Weeks have passed and Zachery and I are still staying at Slade’s. I sense he is waiting on me to take the next step. God knows what the next step is between us is, two months ago I didn’t know he existed and now I don’t think I can leave town and be without him. Every day we stay with him is a day Zachery bonds with him that little bit more and myself included. So, I have to ask myself…am I thinking with my head or my heart? Obviously I am thinking with my heart because if I was thinking with my head, I would be telling myself that this is all happening too fast and with a man who is a part of a motorcycle club. Is that what I want for my son?

“Hello, are you in there?”

I snap out of my thoughts to find Bonnie waving her hand in my face.

“Sorry, I was a million miles away,” I smile.

“I gathered that,” she laughs, “What’s going on in that head of yours?”

Between Alannah and Bonnie, they have become good friends to me and it has been a long time since I have been able to enjoy time with friends and have people to talk to. Hopefully she can help me understand everything.

“Slade,” I sigh.

“Oh, I thought everything was good between you two?” she asks.

“It is.”

“But?” she urges.

“The way I feel about him, I haven’t known him that long and I don’t want to sound judgmental but he is a part of motorcycle club,” I cringe.

I really don’t mean to cause her offence or anyone.

“Has he been anything but kind to you?” she asks.

“No.”

“Then what does him being a Lost Soul have to do with it? And as far as not knowing him that long, I’m sure you didn’t know Billy long before you slept with him and I bet you don’t regret that?” she says, nodding her head in Zachery’s direction.

“Look, I’ve known Slade a while now and I can honestly tell you that he’s one of the good guys. The way he is with you isn’t an act, he adores you and Zachery. I’m not saying the Lost Souls are perfect, they aren’t, but they fight for themselves and for the people they love and care about,” she adds.

“That’s what bothers me, the fighting, how am I meant to keep Zachery safe if I put him bang in the middle of a club just so I can be happy with a man I met two months ago. It isn’t why I came here,” I try to explain.

“You deserve happiness too Kristen and Zachery will always be safe because he would have men who never met him but would fight for him if anything were to happen, that’s what the Lost Souls are about. Loyalty is everything to them and if one is in danger or needs help they are the first ones there for you, especially Slade.”

I think back to the night Slade brought me dinner to the motel. He explained what it would be like to be an old lady. I sat there opposite him wondering what it be like for me and here I am, doubting every word he said.

“You’re right, I do deserve happiness,” I smile.

“Believe me when I tell you that these men aren’t who you think they are. I’ve known and lived with men who are what you think they are and you couldn’t be more wrong. If there is ever going to be anyone you can trust to tell you that, it’s me.”

“What do you mean?” I ask, intrigued.

“I grew up in a motorcycle club, the Lost Souls rivals to be exact. My father was the president and was a very malicious man. He had no morals, no regard for anyone, especially not for his kids. All he wanted was power and money and he did anything to gain it.

I was violently abused by him and my brother for years. When the war between the clubs escalated, my father was killed and my brother become their leader. I thought I would be free because my dad was no longer around but I was wrong. I was being forced to marry a man who didn’t love me or even like me,” she stops abruptly and pulls her tee up to hover above her bra.