Loving The Biker (MC Biker Romance) (8 page)

Twelve

Cole

I choked on the coffee. “Sorry, what was that?” I asked hoarsely.

“We received a tip today from someone claiming that she killed him,” said Walters. “A phone call.”

“That’s bullshit,” I said, knowing right away that Ronnie was behind it. “She’s marrying Tank, for one. For two, my sister isn’t a murderer.”

“Did the Devil’s Rangers put you two up to it? As an initiation into the club?” continued Walters.

“Definitely not,” I said, pissed off. “Look, you and I both know this is a load of shit. Because of what happened earlier today, they’re trying to pin that on me and my sister.”

“Do you own a green van?” asked Walters.

The van we’d used had been ‘borrowed’ and since returned to the auto-body shop I worked part-time for. It had been a customer’s and was back in his possession, now painted black and looking pristine. We’d actually done a complete overhaul on the vehicle. As far as I was concerned, there was no way it could be traced back to the murder, especially since I’d borrowed plates from another vehicle, earlier that morning. Even though I hadn’t really expected her to shoot Slammer, I knew her head hadn’t been in the right place and at the time, had been more worried about the Gold Vipers finding us then the cops.

“No,” I replied. “But, you already know that don’t you?”

“Yes. We do,” said Walters, studying my face.

“Did you trace the call that came in?” I asked.

“Yes. They used a payphone,” he replied. “From Merl’s Gas Station.”

Merl’s was one of the oldest stations in Jensen. I pictured Ronnie calling on the payphone, which was located across from the pumps.

“Have someone check the cameras,” I said. “I’m sure you’ll find Ronnie or one of the other members on video, making that call.”

They looked at each other and Walters nodded. “We will,” he replied. “No doubt about that.”

“Are we done talking about this shit?” I asked, tapping my fingers on the table in frustration. “Because… if I’d have known you were going to try and pin Slammer’s murder on myself or Raina, especially when I’m trying to help you guys, I’d have stayed home.”

“I understand you’re angry. Obviously, we had to ask,” said Walters.

“You call that ‘asking’?” I said, frowning. “You were basically accusing Raina. But that’s how you cops operate, isn’t it? Accuse and ask questions later?”

“We’re trying to find a murderer,” said Walters. “We do what’s necessary.”

“It seems to me like you should change your tactics. Accusing someone of murder, just because of an anonymous ‘tip’ is pretty ludicrous. Especially under the circumstances.”

“It may seem that way, but our ‘tactics’ have proven successful in the past. You wouldn’t believe the amount of criminals who want to confess, but aren’t asked the right questions,” said Walters. “Or hell, even asked at all.”

“I doubt that Slammer’s killer wants to confess, so you’d better work a lot harder than that to find out who he actually is,” I replied dryly.

“Who ‘she’ is,” said O’Brien.

“Right,” I answered. “Whomever.”

Walters looked at O’Brien. “Why don’t you follow up on the payphone thing? See if there are any cameras pointed toward the one at the gas station.”

“Will do,” she said, standing up. Terin looked at me. “Thanks again for your help. All of it.”

Still irritated, all I could do was nod.

She walked out of the room.

Walters handed me a form to fill out and a pen. “I’d like to second that. I’m pretty sure you saved her from being raped.”

“Knowing Chips, rape was only half of it,” I said. “Where do I start?”

He turned the sheet of paper over and explained how to fill it out.

“When I’m finished, am I allowed to leave?” I asked curtly.

“Of course.”

“Good, because my good deed of the day seems to be biting me in the ass,” I replied, picking up the pen.

“For the record, I didn’t want to accuse you of anything. It’s just a method we use to get a response. One we can try and read into.”

“And what did you read from mine?”

“That you love your sister.”

“Yes, but she isn’t a killer,” I said, not exactly lying. She may have murdered Slammer, but she’d not been herself. “Neither am I.”

“You will be if they patch you,” said Walters.

“Believe it or not, I’m with the Gold Vipers because they’re not murderers.”

“Son, do you really believe that?” 

I wanted to tell him that if they were cold-blooded murderers, Raina wouldn’t be alive. Neither would I.

“I do. The Devil’s Rangers, on the other hand, they wouldn’t blink an eye if they had to kill someone. They should be the ones being questioned for murder, not me. Most belong in prison.”

“Is that why you’re here? To help clean up the streets?” replied Walters, smirking.

I’m here because I was ordered to be here.

“I’m here for many reasons, but honestly,” I pictured the scene from the deli and what might have happened if I hadn’t showed up. “I’m here to make sure Chips and Gomer gets what’s coming to them.”

“Jail time?”

I nodded and thought of Gomer, the skinny asshole who’d once bragged about slipping some sorority chick a Mickey, so he could fuck “the snobby bitch” without resistance. “That and some extra shower time. Those two are predators. They need to see what it feels like to be victims.”

“I couldn’t agree more.”

Thirteen

Terin

I called Merl’s station and found out from the owner’s wife that they did have cameras.

“Would you be able to see the payphone?” I asked the woman.

“A little. I have to tell you, our security system is pretty old, and so are the cameras. You’re welcome to take a look at the video footage though,” she said.

“Thanks. I’ll stop by later today,” I replied and then gave her my name again.

“Sounds good. Can I ask what you’re looking for?”

“We’re just trying to identify a caller. You didn’t happen to see anyone using the phone about an hour and a half ago?”

“If someone did, I didn’t notice. One of the cashiers called in sick today and we’ve been pretty busy. Ten people could have used the payphone and I probably wouldn’t have noticed.”

“Understandable,” I replied. “Well, thanks again. I’ll be down as soon as I can.”

“Sounds good.”

We hung up and I walked back to the Interrogation Room, just as Cole was on his way out. Behind him, still seated at the table, was Walters, talking on his cell phone.

“You’re finished already?” I asked, noticing that he was holding his motorcycle helmet and leather jacket.

“Afraid so,” he said, staring down at me. He stood about five inches taller than myself and with his height and muscular frame, Cole seemed to fill the doorway.

“Oh,” I answered, trying to hide my disappointment. For some reason he intrigued me and I wanted to ask him a few more questions about his club and why joining one was so important. Instead, I stepped to the side, so he could walk out of the room. As he strolled past me, I smelled motorcycle exhaust with a trace of cologne. I turned and watched him, admiring the way his jeans fit.

As if feeling my eyes on him, Cole suddenly stopped. “Did you have something else you wanted to say to me, Detective O’Brien?” he asked, turning to look at me again with those intense blue eyes.

Hot damn, but he was good looking…

It was enough to almost make me understand the appeal some women had to bad boys.

I really need to get laid
, I thought.

“Uh, no. I guess not. Just… thank you again for helping me at the deli,” I replied, angry with myself for the way I was reacting to someone like him. “And then showing up here to give a statement.”

“Not a problem.”

Not even sure why, I started walking down the hallway with him.

“Detective, you know… if you really want to thank me,” he said, in a low voice, “you could meet me for a drink. I think we could both use one after a day like today.”

A glass of wine sounded heavenly at that moment, but I pictured the two of us in a bar together and knew it was a bad idea. Not only would it be a conflict of interest, but the fact that I was attracted to him and we’d be drinking alcohol, might lead to trouble. “A drink?”

“Yeah. Just a beer. Or, would that be too much of a crime?” he asked with a devilish grin. “Sharing a drink with someone like me?”

“Honestly, I’d like to but I can’t,” I admitted, realizing that I was now walking with him out of the building.

“Against the rules?” he asked as we headed toward his motorcycle.

“Yes.”

“Damn,” he said, giving me another killer smile, one that sent a warm, pleasurable rush to my stomach. “Well, should we ever end up at the same bar, one night, and I do buy you a drink, you won’t handcuff me, will you?”

I laughed. “No.”

“Not that I’d mind. Hell, I’m even be open to a frisk.”

“Are you flirting with me?” I asked with a wry smile as we stopped next to his bike.

“No. I’m just trying to make your job easier and if frisking does it, then I’m certainly willing to help out.”

“How old are you?” I asked. I’d read that his sister was my age, which meant he was younger than me.

“I’ll be twenty-four next month. I’m surprised you didn’t check that,” he replied.

He was two years younger. I had to admit, though, he acted more mature than some of the guys I worked with. Most of them were in their thirties and forties. “You’re just a kid.”

He laughed. “A kid, huh?” He studied my face. “You don’t look much older than eighteen yourself, which I know you couldn’t be. How old are you, if I may ask?”

“Twenty-six.”

“You’re kind of young for a detective, aren’t you?”

“I advanced pretty quickly,” I admitted. “But, I worked my ass off for it.”

“I’m sure you did,” he said, setting his helmet on the bike. He slipped his jacket on. “I know I wouldn’t want to piss you off. Not after the way you handled Chips earlier.”

“He handled me first,” I replied, my smile fading. “If it wasn’t for you, I doubt I would have made it out of that situation… alive.”

“Honestly, I think you would have,” he said. “It just would have taken longer, but you’d have gotten away.”

“What is it about these clubs that interest you so much?” I asked bluntly. “I mean…. why join up?”

He took a few seconds before answering. “It’s about brotherhood, friendship, and camaraderie for me. Once you’re accepted into a club, your brothers have your back for life, no matter the circumstances.”

“So, you’re joining because you want a family?”

“I have a family but I guess in a way, that’s a big part of it, too. To be honest, I didn’t know much about motorcycle clubs until I met Taz, a guy I used to work with. He was a Prospect for the Devil’s Rangers and invited me to a party one night. Afterward, I started hanging around some of the places they frequented and got to know some of the other guys. Eventually, Taz sponsored me and I was made a Prospect.”

“He must be angry that you’ve switched sides,” I replied.

“He would be if he were still alive,” said Cole, staring past me, into the distance.

“What happened to him?” I asked, wondering if he’d been murdered. I hadn’t read anything about Taz in any of my reports.

“He took off one weekend to visit his parents in Texas and was killed by a drunk driver,” he replied, his eyes revealing the grief he still felt. “They both died, actually.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” I said, placing a hand on his forearm. “I’m sure you two were pretty close.”

He stared at my hand. “He was the only guy in the Devil’s Rangers with any kind of ethics. I suppose that was one thing that made it easier for me to leave the club, knowing that he was gone.”

“I bet,” I said, noticing some of the glances that I was getting in the parking lot by other officers. I pulled my hand away. “So, you weren’t that close to the other club members?”

“I was until I found out they were lying to me,” he said.

“About what?”

He looked away. “Club stuff. Anyway, I’m with a better one now and have no regrets about changing. I’m just grateful that Tank didn’t hold my prior club affiliation against me.”

“I’m sure marrying your sister gave you a free pass, too,” I replied.

“No. There are never free passes into anything. You have to prove your loyalty,” said Cole.

“How do you have to prove it?” I asked, knowing that for many clubs it meant doing something illegal.

Cole swung his leg over his bike and sat down. “I’m still trying to figure that out.”

Fourteen

Cole

“Hopefully, you won’t be doing anything that will land you behind bars,” she replied.

I smiled and started the bike. “You sound like my Uncle Sal.”

“And he sounds like an intelligent guy. Nice motorcycle, by the way,” she said loudly.

“You ride?”

“No.”

“Have you ever been on a bike?”

“When I was young, my father used to take me for rides on his.”

“What kind did he have?”

“He owned a Gold Wing.”

I nodded and asked if she wanted to take a ride with me.

Terin looked around the parking lot and then back to me. She looked uncomfortable. “I have to get back to work.”

“What about when you’re off?”

“I really can’t.”

“I could pick you up at your place. Nobody would have to know,” I said. I’d noticed the way her eyes had lit up at the mention of a ride and knew she wanted to.

“Seriously, Cole, I can’t and you know why. Anyway,” she began backing away. “Thanks again for stopping by and filling out the report.”

She was right. I knew it was a long shot but I couldn’t help myself. She was a sexy little number and I hadn’t been laid in a couple of weeks. The thought of taking her back to my place and giving her my own ride was enough to make my jeans tight.

“Too bad,” I said, revving the engine a little. “One ride with me, on a Harley, and I guarantee that you’d never want to get off.” I gave her a wicked grin. “At least not without me.”

She smiled. “You’re pretty sure of yourself, aren’t you?”

“Only when it comes to things that I want.”

“And what is that?” she asked, looking flushed.

My eyes trailed up and down her body, making it obvious as to what I wanted.

Her blush deepened. “Goodbye, Cole,” she said, backing away.

“If you need me for anything else, you have my number,” I told her. “Case related or personal.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

I slipped the helmet over my head. “I’ll definitely be keeping you in mind.”

“Am I the first cop you’ve ever flirted with?” she asked.

I grinned. “Does Walters count?”

Laughing, she turned and walked back toward the building.