Defiant Loyalty (Comanche Sons Motorcycle Club Book 2) (6 page)

“Who?”

“No idea. I have not met him as yet. His shift timings are different than mine, and he works only for three hours a day which works well for Johnny because he doesn't really need a full time waiter.”

“Great then. I bet he wouldn’t have a problem if you went with me.” Chance was reluctant to part ways with her just yet. A nagging feeling echoed in his brain, but he couldn't quite make sense of it. What was it? Something she said? Something he felt? He couldn’t be sure. Chance pushed opened the back door and strode in behind her. “I will just talk to Ryan and see if he has a new list ready for me.”

“You can put these things on my shelf,” she said. They walked into the locker area which was really a cubby where each worker was assigned a shelf for their stuff. “The bottom one is mine.” She pointed at it, and then stared with horror at the macabre sight that met her eyes.

Chance couldn’t quite believe it. Surely this was a mistake. No, it couldn’t possibly be. The bags dropped from his hand as he bent to take a look. Someone had taken an ordinary ragdoll and stuffed a knife through its heart. “What the fuck is that?” he said.

Miriam came in and shrieked. “Voodoo?” said Riley.

“Don’t be silly,” said Chance. He hunched forward to take a closer look. “It’s…a message, I believe.” Taking out a pen from his pocket, he turned the doll away and read the note that was pinned to its back. “You’re next.”

They both gazed at each other in horror. Whoever did this not only managed to access the bar but also was quite aware of the shelf that belonged to her. The message was clear; her brother was near, and he wasn’t giving up after the last failed attempt. Whatever she did, wherever she went, Riley wouldn’t be free until this man was sent behind bars.

Chance had to do something. He just couldn’t take it anymore. From now on, until this thing was settled, he would dedicate his life to it until he solved this mystery.

Chapter Seven

Riley was hyperventilating. She couldn’t help it. Wesley somehow managed to penetrate deep inside her inner sanctum. Her work place wasn’t safe anymore. It appeared that no matter what she did, he found her—and this time he delivered a blow from which it was hard to recover.

“Who could have done such a thing?” said Miriam. One look at Riley’s face and she shut up. Instead, she grasped her hand and tugged her out of the room. “Come now, we’ll have a cup of coffee.”

“I don’t want coffee.” She was shivering. Riley could feel herself succumbing to the stress that plagued her. This was the final straw. She just couldn’t take it anymore. “I…we should call the police.”

“We’ll do that, honey. You just sit here and breathe. Breathe deeply.”

Johnny strode into the room. He probably heard all the commotion and came out to investigate. “Why the hell are you not at your work stations? Come on, girls, chop chop. Time is wasting.”

“Can’t you give her a minute?” barked Miriam, not as all intimidated by his loud voice. “She just went through a terrible shock.”

“What the fuck happened?”

“What happened is that you allowed a complete stranger to waltz in here when you know quite well that she has already been attacked once,” said Chance as he strode in. “I have already called the police, and they are on their way.”

“What the hell did you do that for? It’s forbidden to call them here,” sputtered Johnny. “You know the rules as well as I do.”

“Fuck the rules. I don’t give a shit about them. Her life is in danger, and you’re responsible for it.” Chance pointed a finger at him.

“What did I do?”

“You hired a waiter without running his name through a check, without references.”

“Hey man, if I asked for references from my workforce, I wouldn’t get anyone. Half the people who turn up here don’t have anything to show for their past and they don’t want the hassle.” Johnny raised his hands. “Which waiter are you talking about? Mike. He seemed on the level.”

Chance strode right up to Johnny. “Did you check his ID? Ask for a phone number, an address, anything?”

“No man. Why the hell would I do that? He said he wanted three hours of work, and that was just perfect for me. I was looking for someone like that, and he fit the bill to the T.”

“So, you were in need of some part time help, and this guy shows up. He has no references, but he is willing to work for the exact number of hours that you want. You don’t think it’s suspicious?”

Johnny shook his head. He was as baffled as the rest of the crew. Riley was the only one who understood where Chance was going. Ingenious, really. Her brother had staked this place. He figured out a way to access the interior. Why? Did he want another chance to take a swipe at her? Or was this exercise just done so that he could leave a message? Maybe he wanted to rattle her. If so, he succeeded.

This was a deadly game, and so far he was quite ahead of her.  

“That man is the same one who is chasing Riley with the sole intention of killing her. He wants her dead, and you allowed him the perfect opportunity to take a close look at the place where she works.”

Johnny blanched. He stared from her to Chance, and then back again. “I heard…but I wasn’t…I didn’t know…”

Ryan strode out of the kitchen, as there was some noise outside. Then, he came back in and said, “The police are here.”

Johnny gripped Chance’s collar. “You shouldn’t have called them, you idiot. We will all get into trouble.”

“I don’t give a shit. All I want is to keep her safe, and I will do anything to achieve that.” Chance shook himself free. Walking over to Riley, he gripped her hand and tugged her to her feet. “Come one, we’ve got to talk to them. No one touch that thing until the police have taken a look. They will likely take it away for fingerprints.”

“What nonsense is this?” said Johnny, as he ran a hand through his hair.

As if she was sleepwalking, Riley allowed Chance to tug her to the main hall. The same two officers who took down her report were on the scene. While Chance talked to them, she merely nodded along. Riley didn’t have anything new to add. 

“We would like to see the evidence.”

While Chance took the police inside, she just sat there on one of the chairs. Riley was too shocked to do anything. She hadn’t expected that her brother would do something so drastic. Following her was one thing, but actually accessing her workplace was another. She never saw him, but Jane did. Johnny did. They were near him. He could have killed one of them to make a point. It was a good thing that the only thing he decided to do was to leave a message. He could have left behind a corpse also.

The thought of that sent a wave of icy fear careening through her spine. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves. Miriam came out. “The police are talking to Jane, Johnny, and Ryan since they saw the waiter.”

“Was he due to come in today?” asked Riley.

“Not today, tomorrow. Doubt he will show up now,” she said. “Are you sure that was your brother?”

“If he shows up tomorrow, then he is in the clear.” What if they were wrong? It was possible that Wesley came inside through some other means. Maybe he broke in. It was possible that the waiter was just another innocent guy who was looking to make an honest buck. She stood. There was no point thinking about it. They still had work to do. Whatever was meant to happen would happen, and in the meantime she also needed to earn her money.

By mutual, silent consent, the girls began setting up the tables. By the time the police officers came out with Johnny, the pub was set to receive the customers. Johnny glanced around and nodded in approval. He didn’t say anything as the officers walked over to Riley. “We’re going to check this doll for fingerprints. In the meantime, we ask that you be careful.”

“What if this is a joke?” said Miriam.

“Do you have any information that shows that it could be one?” asked one of the officers. Miriam shook her head. He turned his attention back to Riley.  “In that case, we will assume that it’s a message from the man who is stalking you. We urge you not to move alone or remain by yourself in the house or in the pub. Limit your movements and watch carefully.”

She had done that for all of her adult life. “Yes, of course. Thank you, officers.”

After they left, she resumed her work. Chance strode by. “I have told Ryan to keep his eyes on you.”

“I doubt he would come inside a pub full of customers and stab me though.”

He grimaced at her description. “I wouldn’t put anything past this guy.” He enveloped her in a hug. The feel of his arms around her boosted her courage. And yet she also felt uncomfortable. He was going through this mess because of her. “Be careful. That’s all I ask.”

Overwhelmed by his concern, she nodded as he let her go. “I will do what I can.”

“Try to do better than that.” He kissed her lightly on the lips and then left.

“If I had a guy like that, I would never let him go.” Miriam sighed. She’d been shamelessly eavesdropping on their conversation. “Johnny is pissed. He didn’t want Chance to call the police, but I was so impressed when Chance stood his ground.”

And he would probably pay for that. He’d told her a little about his conversation with Mathew. She had a feeling that he didn’t share everything. Obviously, the Comanche Sons wouldn’t be happy that he dragged the police to their bar. Now, he might face serious repercussions. The longer she stayed her, the more trouble she brewed. Now it wasn’t just her life at stake, but all those who were around her. With that message, Wesley served two purposes: First, he told her that he was still around, waiting and watching. Second, he let her know that he could access any place of hers without much trouble. It meant that Chance wasn’t safe because he hung out with her, nor were Ryan, Jane, Miriam, and even Johnny.

She had led all these people into a lot of trouble.

“Let’s just get back to work,” said Riley. “I wouldn’t want to irritate Johnny even more.”

“As if he is going to do anything to you. The guy adores you because you are his best worker, even better than me.”

“You can be just as good if you stop texting and checking your phone every five minutes.”

Miriam grinned as she took out her phone. “Social media is something special, Riley. You should try it. I got three new friends requests today on Facebook. Must be the people I met last night at this great new club. Hey, you should come check it with me. Chance can come, too. I’ve got this hot date and let me tell you…”

As Miriam chattered and talked, Riley did the work she was paid for. Her mind was ablaze with fears and concerns. It was time to do what she should have done ages ago. She’d become weak. Chance had made her so. It was difficult for her to make the hard decisions that she used to make so quickly. She would have to fix her game.

Even though she was quaking inside her fear, Riley did her job. She served the customers, delivered the orders, and even joked. Long ago, she had learned to compartmentalize her fears and put them in one corner of her mind so that they didn’t take over her life. If she gave vent to them, she wouldn’t be able to do anything else. Johnny came out three times to check on her progress, as if he expected her to implode, but she was always firmly in control.

“How are you holding up?” said Ryan when she came to deliver another order.

“I am fine. Nothing to worry about.”

“It’s a huge thing for anyone. If it was me, I would want to go back home and crawl under the blanket for a few hours,” he said.

She wanted to do the same, but Riley learned ago that staying still would get her killed faster. She tilted her lips in a smile. “I’m really ok, Ryan. Thanks.”

“Hey, sugar, can I get a beer?” said a man as he lumbered forward. Huge, tall, and bearded, he oozed an air of authority that she couldn’t quite ignore. “Quickly.”

“Yes, sir.” She walked over to the fridge and picked out a beer. When she handed it over, he opened it and drank some. “Where is the manager of this place?”

“That would be Johnny. He is out back.”

“Run down there, sugar, and tell him that Mathew is here.”

Mathew. Mathew. Where had she heard the name?
The way he talked and looked, it was impossible to say no. Riley had the distinct feeling that this man belonged to the motorcycle club that owned this bar, and he was here because of the incident that happened in the morning. Strolling down the corridor, she knocked on Johnny’s office door.

“Come in,” he said.

She opened the door a little. “Some guy named Mathew is here.”

“What the hell are you doing, woman? Get him. Wait. I will go myself.” Springing up from his chair, he strode down the corridor ahead of her.

So, yes, Mathew was indeed someone important. When she got out, Johnny was just ushering in the man. As she crossed them, Mathew’s gaze followed her as if he knew exactly who she was. Riley felt uneasy. She strolled out into the main hall and resumed her work. By the time they called in the last order, her feet were aching. Chance was already seated on one of the stools, nursing his single beer that he always drank whenever he came in the bar, which was most nights because of her. The man sure had changed his life because of her, and all she had given in exchange were headaches and fights.

When the last customers stumbled out, Ryan closed the door. “Wow! It was a hot night today.”

“I hopped and skipped between tables. Who was that guy who talked to Johnny for half an hour in the office and then dominated that table over there for another two? The number of people who came to greet him was far too many,” said Jane as she counted her tips. “This was our busiest night ever.”

“That’s because that was Mathew, the second-in-command of the Comanche Sons. When people heard that he was here, they came in to say hello,” said Ryan.