Hawke: A Bad Boy Fighter Romance (With bonus book Sons of Flame MC) (15 page)

Chapter One

Tess

“New case here for you Tess.”

A heavy slap as the manila folder landed on her desk. Tess looked up from the paperwork she was doing, a frown on her face.

“A new case? Melody, I’m swamped as it is. Look at all this.”

She gestured to the stacks of paper scattered haphazardly on her desk.

“I’m already weeks behind on everything, and you want to give me more?”

Melody just shrugged.

“Hon, we’re
all
swamped. Welcome to the California justice system.”

And with that she left Tess to it.

With a deep sigh, Tess lifted the folder and laid it on top of the papers she’d been trying to struggle through. She’d been working for the California Department of Corrections for a couple months now as a parole officer, and it wasn’t going as she’d envisaged.

She’d taken the job because she wanted to help people - wanted to see them reintegrate into society and change their ways.

But, so far, she felt overwhelmed by the enormity of the task in front of her. It seemed like every week she’d take on a new case. Right now, she had 63 parolees in her charge. Almost all men, most of them gang members, drug dealers, thieves.

Where she had envisioned working with these guys to help them, they were, on the whole, almost wholly resistant to any efforts on her part. They did the absolute bare minimum to meet the terms of their parole, and not a single thing more.

Tess knew that most of these guys were simply going to slip back into their old ways, just go back to whatever it was that they’d been incarcerated for in the first place. It was all they knew. And it broke her heart.

Tess swigged a mouthful of coffee, grimacing at the cheap bitterness of it, and flipped open the new folder.

She spent the next half hour acquainting herself with her newest ‘client’.

Eli Flint, twenty-nine years old. Arrested for intent to distribute illegal weapons. Links to The Sons of Flame, a notorious biker gang operating out of Joshuaville in the Mojave. Just released after three years inside, half of his original sentence. His only family was his elderly grandmother, Grace Flint, also of Joshuaville. He’d been offered a job as a motorbike mechanic.

Tess ran her fingers through her hair and checked her watch. Flint was due to report in for his first probation meeting with her that same afternoon according to the file. If she was quick she’d have just enough time to grab a sandwich before that appointment.

She downed the last of her coffee, grimacing again and noting that she needed to start buying some better stuff from outside. This machine coffee was rancid, but it kept her going at least. With one last despairing glance at the mounds of paperwork, she strode out of the office.

*****

Eli Flint was a half hour late for his appointment, and Tess was about to record him as a no-show when he nonchalantly wandered into the little interview room she used for her appointments with the parolees.

Tess was immediately struck by his good looks - strong jaw, short dark cropped hair, intense blue eyes that sized her up immediately upon seeing her. Tess had often noticed this about the guys she worked with. It wasn’t always a sexual thing (although that did happen), but they would take stock of her the moment they met. She’d asked Melody about it once, shortly after she started the job.

“It’s a prison thing, hon,” her boss had said. “To survive in there, you gotta know where you stand. You gotta know who you can mess with, and who you can’t. It becomes an instinct with these guys.”

Melody had leaned in and put a friendly hand on Tess’ shoulder.

“My advice? Don’t show any weakness, ‘cos these assholes are gonna take advantage of that in whatever way they can. Always remember that you’re in a position of power. You have the power to take away their freedom, so don’t let them forget it.”

Tess had taken Melody’s words to heart. She was naturally quite quiet and averse to conflict, but to survive in this job she’d had to toughen up, and fast.

“Take a seat, Mr Flint.”

He pulled out the chair on the other side of the desk and sat facing her. He hadn’t spoken a word yet, and didn’t look like he was about to start either. In fact, he looked downright unfriendly, but this, too, Tess was used to.

She placed his file on the table between them and flipped it open. He glanced at it, and then studiously ignored it, looking around the room, anywhere but at her or the file.

“How have you found things since you were released, Mr Flint? Have you had any trouble adjusting?”

No response. Just a shrug. Tess took a breath. He was going to be one of
these.
Great.

“If you are, there are some programs I can sign you up -”

“No. No
programs
.”

They were the first words he had spoken, and he practically snarled the word. Tess was a little taken aback, but she pressed on.

“Well, that’s your choice for now Mr Flint, but as your probation officer I’ll have to make a call going forward, depending on how well you integrate back into society.”

He rolled his eyes and leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk.

“Look, Miss Bailey, I came here because I
have
to. I need you to approve my job so I can start work. That’s all I want. I ain’t gonna commit any crimes. Promise.”

A hint of a smile playing around his lips.

“So can you just sign whatever you gotta sign, or do what you gotta do so I can start working and put all this shit behind me?”

Tess smiled at him, taken aback by his candor.

“Well, I do have to say that I’m impressed you got a job offer so quickly. Most parolees don’t manage it so fast.”

He shrugged.

“Yeah, I’m lucky. So, what do I need to do?”

Tess flipped open her notebook and grabbed a pen.

“Well, I’ll need to pay a visit to your employer and check out the workplace first. If you give me the address and contact details, I’ll head over there in the next couple of days and you can start work once I’m done.”

He leaned back and let out a sigh of frustration, running his fingers through his coarse hair.

“Really? The place is legit, I guarantee you. Mike, the owner, wants me to start ASAP, and to tell you the truth, I really need the cash.”

Tess sympathised with him. Most parolees were completely broke once they got out of prison, but regulations were regulations, and she had to follow them.

“You can’t start until I approve the job. I’m sorry, but that’s just how things are. However, I’ll free up a slot in my schedule tomorrow afternoon so that you can start quickly. Would that be acceptable?”

Tess was surprised at herself for making the offer. She was already completely snowed under, and keeping the promise she’d just made would only make things worse, but there was something about Eli Flint that made her want to help him out.

He was brusque to the point of being rude, but that smile he’d shot her seemed genuine and he really did seem as if he truly wanted to put his past behind him.

He studied her with those intense eyes of his, not saying anything for a short while. Tess started to feel a little bit uncomfortable under his scrutiny. Damn if he wasn’t good-looking, though.

“OK,” he eventually said. “Thanks. I appreciate it.”

He reached over and took the notepad, scribbling a name and address in untidy, scrawled handwriting.

“It’s called Mike’s, in Joshuaville, around an hour’s drive from here.”

He slid the notebook back over to her and leaned back in his chair once more.

“So, is there anything else you need from me? I got stuff to do, Miss Bailey.”

Tess checked over her notes. This being the preliminary meeting, they were pretty much done for now.

“No, that’s everything Mr Flint. I’ll contact you once I’ve paid a visit to your workplace tomorrow and let you know my decision.”

“Thanks,” he said gruffly. “And, well, I guess we’ll be seeing a little bit of each other, so why don’t you call me Eli? Mr Flint sounds too weird for me.”

Tess smiled at him.

“Sure thing, Eli. See you soon.”

He stood to leave, and Tess couldn’t help but notice his toned physique, his sun-bronzed skin, his long, muscular legs. He looked around and caught her looking, and it was all Tess could do to stop herself from blushing, immediately cursing herself for acting like a little schoolgirl, with one of her parolees no less.

He grinned knowingly at her.

“See ya around Miss Bailey.”

He pulled open the door and strode out purposefully, leaving Tess to sit there and wonder just how he’d managed to have such an effect on her so quickly. She shook her head and tried to clear her thoughts. The guy was an ex-con, and he’d been involved in one of the area’s most notorious gangs, but there was just something about him that made him seem a bit different from the rest of her parolees. Something earnest, almost innocent.

She stood and gathered her files and documents, and went back to her desk. She did her best to stop thinking about Eli Flint, burying herself in her paperwork, but time and again her mind would turn to him.

Eventually she opened his file once more and began to read it. He’d been arrested in the Mojave Desert on the outskirts of Joshuaville in a sting operation. The notes said that the other gang members had made their escape and Eli had been the only one arrested.

His story was pretty typical. He’d been recruited by the gang as a teen, lured by the promise of easy money and the biker lifestyle. From all accounts he’d only been a low-level member, just tagging along and learning the trade.

David ‘Tex’ Murphy, the leader of the Sons of Flame, was still at large, and the gang continued to operate in and around Joshuaville. Mostly weapons smuggling, some drugs and intimidation. Typical biker gang activities.

Tess knew from experience how difficult it could be for young guys like Eli to get out of the lifestyle, even after they’d been in prison. The gang would often approach them after release, promising them work, a way to get back on their feet, and many would quickly slip back into old ways, old habits.

Tess just hoped she could work with Eli to make sure that didn’t happen with him.

Unfortunately, as it turned out, things just weren’t going to be that easy.

They never were.

*****

Chapter Two

Tess

Tess pulled into the little parking lot a little while after 1pm. Checking her GPS to make sure she had the right place, she took a moment to look around while she made sure she had all the paperwork she needed.

It was, as usual, a brutally hot day - not a single cloud in the azure sky, the sun beating down mercilessly. For now, here in the car with the air conditioner on full blast, Tess was pretty comfortable, but she knew from experience that as soon as she stepped outside it would be a whole different story.

Mike’s place was a beat-up old shop on the outskirts of town - the small parking lot was cracked and overgrown, and the little sign above the door was faded and barely readable. Tess couldn’t see anybody around, and she wasn’t even sure that the place was open at all.

She decided to walk over and take a closer look, hoping that she hadn’t driven all this way out into the desert for nothing. It wouldn’t be the first time a parolee had flaked out on her.

She grabbed her briefcase, and, bracing herself for the heat, stepped out of the car. It immediately hit her in a wave that took her breath away. No matter how long she lived here, she knew that she’d never get used to the heat of the desert in summer.

Shading her eyes with one hand, Tess walked quickly over to the building, scanning for any signs of movement or activity. By the time she reached the entrance, her white blouse was stuck to her skin and sweat beaded her brow.

She felt sticky and uncomfortable, but there was nothing for it. Tess peered into the cool darkness of the workshop. Once her eyes had adjusted, she found herself standing in a dirty and messy space. A couple of cars in various states of disassembly were there, along with tools and other detritus scattered around.

“Hello? It’s Tess Bailey, from the California Probation Service. Is there anyone here?”

Silence. If there was anyone at the shop, it didn’t seem like they were out here. Tess turned to exit and look for another door out the front, when she heard the clanking sound of a tool dropping to the hard concrete floor.

She whirled back around, trying to locate the source of the noise.

“Is someone in here? I have an appointment to meet with the owner this afternoon.”

There was a scraping sound - it seemed to be coming from underneath one of the cars. Tess walked slowly over to it, leaned down and peered under the car. She exclaimed in shock as an oil and grease-smeared face peered back at her.

“Eli! Jesus Christ you scared me. Why didn’t you tell me you were in here when I came in?”

He rolled himself out from under the car and stood in front of her, stretching. Tess’ eyes were drawn to his flat stomach, peeking out from under the dirty white vest that he wore.

He just shrugged, infuriatingly.

Where Tess’ first reaction had been shock, her second was accusatory.

“Eli, I told you yesterday that you can’t start work until I’ve approved the job. You can get in serious trouble if I report that you started before I did my inspection.”

His eyes narrowed and his expression darkened.

“I wasn’t working. I was just taking a look.”

Tess rolled her eyes and placed her hands on her hips.

“Don’t bullshit me, Eli Flint. You think I was born yesterday?”

He reached over to one side and began wiping his hands with a filthy rag, then just shrugged again, staring directly into Tess’ eyes with that intense look of his.

“So write me up. I’ll find something else.”

Tess sighed.

“Look, Eli. I’m not gonna write you up. But I need you to work with me on this. Rules are rules, and I don’t have a choice but to follow them. You make my life easier, I can make yours easier. Are we on the same page here?”

He was silent for a moment, and then nodded brusquely.

“Mike’s in the office. Sleeping probably, lazy old bastard. Want me to go get him for you?”

Tess shook her head.

“No, you wait here. I need to meet with him in private.”

She turned to go back out the way she came, leaving Eli standing in the cool darkness of the workshop. Just as she was leaving, his voice called out from behind her.

“I promise not to touch these cars while you’re gone, Miss Bailey. Cross my heart.”

She looked back and he was standing there, a crooked smile on his face.

She opened her mouth to respond, then just shook her head and left him there. He was still smiling.

*****

Tess pushed open the door to the ‘office’. The glass was smeared with decades of dust and dirt, and she couldn’t even see inside. Once she actually went in, that turned out to be somewhat of a blessing.

The room was shabby and dilapidated. There was a ratty old couch and a grimy coffee table sitting next to it. The magazines that were scattered across it must have been years out of date, covered in a thin film of dust.

There were faded pictures on the walls, from what must have been the heyday of Mike’s Machine Shop. Gleaming muscle cars and huge powerful bikes, with smiling men standing around them.

The air conditioning unit was broken, and the only ventilation was a crappy little fan that gamely blew the hot air from one side of the room to another. Tess pushed her hair back out of her face, fantasising about the shower she was going to have once this day was over.

Who’d choose to live in god-damned desert, anyway?

“You the woman from the probation department?”

Tess jumped in surprise, for the second time since she’d arrived. She whirled around to see a scruffy-looking elderly guy sitting in a battered old leather chair behind the desk next to the door.

Don’t either of these guys know it’s rude to surprise people like that?

Gathering her wits, Tess approached him, flashing her ID card.

“Yes, that’s me. Tess Bailey, from the California Department of Corrections.”

He stood and extended a filthy hand, which Tess reluctantly shook. His hands were hard and calloused - the hands of a man who’d spent his life earning his living with them.

“Mike Wrentham. Take a seat, Tess. I hope you don’t mind if I call you Tess? I’m too old to bother with misters and misses. You can call me Mike.”

Tess looked at the seat he’d offered her. She sat on it gingerly - it looked about ready to collapse at any moment, but after an initial creak of protest it seemed steady enough.

Mike leaned forward and placed his hands on his desk.

“So. What do you need from me?”

Tess pulled out some paperwork from her folder and handed him a few sheets.

“I just need you to sign these, and I have a few questions for you too.”

Mike pulled a grimy pair of reading glasses from his pocket and pored over the paperwork for a few minutes. After he seemed satisfied, he signed them and handed them back to Tess. She checked them over, and then placed them back into her folder.

“Do you have any other employees, aside from Eli?”

Mike laughed softly, but it was more like a wheeze than any real amusement.

“Does it look like I do, Tess? The place is hardly buzzing with activity now, is it?”

Tess frowned, puzzled.

“Well, if there’s no work, why are you taking on Eli?”

Mike leaned back and fixed her with a look.

“I’m taking him on because he’s a good kid who just happened to get dealt a bad hand in life, and made some bad choices. We all make mistakes, Tess, it’s just that his were dumber than most.”

Mike sighed, and his eyes took on a faraway look, as if he was recalling some event from his past.

“I’ve known Eli his whole life - his grandmother, Grace...we used to have a thing, her and I. Way back. Now, it never came to anything, but we’ve always been friends since then. Eli’s parents died when he was just a little kid - he doesn’t even remember them at all. Grace has raised him ever since, and tried her best, too. But round here, there aren’t many opportunities for a kid like Eli.”

He shook his head.

“So when it turned out he’d joined Tex and those Sons of Flame bastards, I can’t say I was surprised. Disappointed, sure, but not surprised. They reel in these kids with promises of easy money and a wild lifestyle, but they don’t think twice before dropping them to the kerb, just like they did with Eli.”

Mike leaned forward once again and looked Tess earnestly in the eye.

“Eli’s a good man, Tess. Sure, I know that he comes across like a contrarian asshole when you meet him, and God knows he gets on my nerves, but he just wants to take care of his Grandma and put all this shit with the Sons of Flame behind him. If you give him the opportunity, he’ll show you what he can do. I guarantee it.”

Tess had sat silently, listening to the old man talk, and she knew he meant what he said. She barely knew Eli, but she also had that sense - that he was a good man just trying to put right the mistakes of his past.

“I understand you, Mike. I’m not here to try and get Eli to trip up. I honestly want everyone I work with to become productive, rehabilitated members of society. I can see how much you care for him, and I know how much this job means to him, so I’m going to sign it off and he can start tomorrow morning. I’ll file the paperwork this afternoon when I get back to the office.”

Mike smiled at her.

“You’re a good lady, Tess. Eli’s lucky he got assigned to you and not some jaded old asshole.”

Tess grinned back.

“Well, I’ll take that as a compliment Mike.”

She gathered all her things together and stood.

“I’ll see myself out. Try not to let Eli do any work today - he’s not officially allowed to do anything until tomorrow.”

Mike just looked at her - a look that said they both knew how ridiculous the request was, knowing Eli.

Before she left, Tess said, “I’ll go and give him the good news.”

Mike nodded in response, closed his eyes, and leaned back in chair once more.

Tess went back to the workshop, where Eli was waiting. He was studiously trying his best to look unconcerned and unruffled, but she could see the tension in his body as he awaited her decision.

“Well, I’ve spoken to Mike and he’s filled out all the paperwork, so you’re cleared to start work tomorrow, Eli.”

He visibly relaxed.

“Good. That’s all I want. To start working.”

You’re welcome,
Tess thought, but she didn’t say anything.

“Well, I’ve got a long drive back so I’m gonna get going. If you have any questions, you know how to contact me. Your next appointment with me is next month at the office, but I sometimes drop in on parolees in the workplace, just to make sure everything is going as it should.”

Eli nodded brusquely.

“You do that, Miss Bailey. You won’t find any problems with me.”

And with that, he turned back around and busied himself with some part or another on the workbench.

Tess felt more disappointed than she thought she should’ve that he wasn’t more grateful, happier. After all, he was just another case, amongst the dozens that she was currently dealing with.

But she thought about Eli Flint all the way back to the office. The enduring image was of him stretching, his taut muscles defined through his tight white shirt. She just couldn’t shake it from her mind.

Tess had never fallen for a ‘client’ before, and she told herself that she certainly wasn’t about to start now.

But there was just something…something about him…

*****