Leather for Two: Wings of Steel MC (16 page)

I sighed. “Where did you put it?” I narrowed my gaze.

“In the souvenir tires I have hanging on the wall in the shop. No one, not even Diesel knew I had a hiding place in them.”

“There’s something about club members and their ingenious hiding places.” I chuckled. “I’m glad you thought ahead.”

“I always do, baby.”

My stomach calmed—some. “But I’m not staying here. I would go insane waiting for you. I understand your concern. I’m concerned too, but my instincts tell me we both should go. If we get close to the address and you get a bad feeling, or things don’t look good, you can let me off alongside the road and go alone. I refuse to allow you to pull out of this parking lot without me in that seat with you. I will grab a cab if I have to.” I straightened my spine. I meant every single word.

“You could end up dead,” he snapped.

“So could you.”

“But we’re talking about me, not you. That’s a whole different story.”

“How so?” Yes, I was pushing him.

“If something happened to me, no one would miss me. If you were hurt, worse, dead, it’d break a few hearts. Got that?” He lifted a thick brow.

“Who would miss me?” I needed him to say the words.

He blinked. His jaw softened. “All of those little kids you teach. I bet you’re the best damn teacher in that school.”

Even though it wasn’t what I’d hoped to hear, somehow it broke through my chains and it was enough to brighten my mood. I stepped forward, stood on my tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek. “I know you’d miss me. You don’t have to say so.”

He exhaled and wrapped his arms around me, dragging me closer. He lowered his lips to mine—kissing me softly and delicately as if he would crush me if he wasn’t careful. The kiss held more than words could ever define.

When he pulled back, the warmth in his gaze soaked through my skin. Blaze wasn’t a man who showed his softer side a lot. These small glimpses he rewarded me with always made me feel on top of the world. He blinked and the moment disappeared.

“I couldn’t bear if something happened to you either. That’s why we’re doing this together. We’ve got each other’s back.” I forced the words through trembling lips.

He chuckled and swept his gaze over me. “You’re a whopping one-hundred-ten pounds wet. You’ve never shot a gun in your life. And you sure as hell are too damn pretty to give anyone the stink eye.”

“First, I weigh more than one-hundred ten, but thank you. Second, did you say gun?” My chest ached. “You have a gun with you?” My tongue swelled.

“Damn it, Rena. Do you have to announce it to the entire world?” He glanced around for listeners.

“Sorry, but answer me.”

“It’s registered. I’m legal. And it’s for ‘just in case’ purposes.”

“This is totally unfair. You have protection and I don’t.”

“Baby, you have me. I’ll protect you.”

“So, see, no worries. You just said so yourself.” I smiled proudly.

“How do you do that? You make me feel like I don’t have a brain cell in my head.”

“Climb back on the bike. Let’s go see what treasure lies ahead of us.”

“You amaze me. You should be scared and you’re smiling.” He slipped back on the bike, shaking his head. “Damn, woman.”

“I know you won’t let anything happen to me.” I kissed his neck and pulled on my helmet. He pulled his on and started the bike.

We found our way through town and pulled right onto Belleview Park. A group of children played by the road and as we passed, they waved. I waved back. They pointed and jumped up and down, making me smile.

On ahead, through the row of trailers, I watched for the address and when we reached our destination, I tapped Blaze on the shoulder. He pulled into the narrow, grassy driveway and parked the bike, killing the engine.

This wasn’t what I’d expected. I pointed out some toys in the yard. “This doesn’t look like a place where rough and scary people live.”

He shrugged. “Never know. Criminals have kids, too. Maybe the toys are props, to lessen suspicion.”

I shook my head. “I understand you’re paranoid, but can we keep it to a minimum? You get all antsy and you make me fear you’re going to pull out your gun.”

“Sweetheart, I’m a skilled gunman. And I’m calm.”

“So you just always walk around with a scowl?” I snickered.

“Okay, I’m a little uneasy. I’m used to having a mean-looking, badass biker as my wingman, not Mary Poppins in jeans.”

“I hope you realize I don’t find offense in that. Mary Poppins just happens to be one of my favorite movies.”

He laughed and some of the creases smoothed around his eyes. “Just stay behind me, okay, baby?”

“Sure.” I started up the broken sidewalk, sidestepping a tricycle and a smashed pop can.

“Rena, wait.” He gently grabbed my shoulder. “Remember, we just made a deal? I lead, you follow.”

I rolled my eyes. “I’m not much of a follower, Blaze.”

“We could be dealing with low life here,” he whispered.

“Look, this criminal has his own bike. And it’s pink.” I laughed. “And it has three wheels.”

“I’m glad you can take this seriously.”

“Come on, the only way we’re going to find out who lives here is by checking it out.”

“I guess so.” He sniffed.

“Maybe we’ll finally get some answers.” I lifted my hand, ready to knock, but he stopped me.

“Let me. You stay behind me.”

I moaned. “Sure, bodyguard.” I found his behavior charming and flattering, but I was convinced we wouldn’t find a set of criminals behind the door. “Let me do the talking when it comes to the money though.”

“Shh.” He scanned the area for listeners. “Make sure we’re safe before you mention green.”

Shrugging, I let him sweep past me and knock on the door. The first knock went unanswered. “Well, I guess they aren’t home.”

“Try again,” I encouraged.

He did. Harder this time.

I heard thumping, like the pitter-pattering of small feet. “See, they are home.”

The lock clicked, the doorknob twisted and the door opened. I held my breath. But there was no one there…until I looked down, straight into the questioning expression of a little girl…probably around five years old. She had auburn hair pulled up into two ponytails. Freckles scattered her nose and cheeks. She smiled, showing off two missing teeth. My heart panged. Blaze looked at me, his eyes narrowed. We were both caught off guard.

I stepped forward. “Hi, I’m Rena Rose.”

The little girl pushed open the door further. “I’m Tia.”

“Hello, Tia. Is that your tricycle in the yard?” She nodded, sending pigtails flying around her face. “Pink is my favorite color.”

“Mine too. And purple, but they didn’t have a purple bike. My daddy has a big bike that goes vroom and it’s shiny.” She made a movement with her hand through the air.

My throat tightened. Things were starting to make sense.

“Is your mom or dad home?” Blaze asked.

Her green eyes widened. “Do you know my mom?”

“No, sweetheart, we don’t. But we need to speak to her. Is she here?” I asked.

Another set of footsteps sounded in the trailer, heavier. A woman appeared in the doorway. She had the same red hair and freckles as the little girl, except her eyes were brown. “Can I help you?” She tugged Tia behind her.

I could understand her concern. “Hi, I’m Rena Rose. You don’t know me, but—”

“Look, lady, I’m not buying what you’re selling,” she snapped, door already closing.

Blaze stepped forward, caught the door with his hand and the woman’s gaze turned apprehensive. Yeah, Blaze could do that to a person. “Hey, you’re wearing a Wings of Steel cut.” Her jaw softened—some.

“You know us?” Blaze asked.

“I know a member who is a dick head. That bastard is late on his child support and I’ve warned him twice already that I wasn’t playing this shitty game. He either pays or he won’t see his kid. Did he send you here?” Her expression was hard again. Her head bobbed and I looked at the little girl who stood behind her, her hands clasped tightly against her stomach. She didn’t look at all surprised that her mother spoke in a harsh tone. My stomach twisted and I had an urge to grab her up and hold her close. And then I knew for sure. The eyes told a story. This was Diesel’s daughter.

“Can we talk privately?” I asked.

The woman moaned. “Tia, go to your bedroom.” The little girl gave me one last look and disappeared as told. “There. Now, why are you here?”

I opened my mouth, but before I could speak, Blaze started. “Diesel is dead.”

The woman blinked twice and hit the door with her fist. “Shit! That means I won’t be seeing any more checks.”

I stared and rolled my hand into a fist. I’d never wanted to deck a person as strongly as I wanted to punch her right now. Taking a deep breath and calming my nerves, I looked at Blaze for reassurance, then back to the woman. “What is your name?”

She hesitated. “Abby.”

“Okay, Abby. How did you and Diesel meet?” I attempted to connect with her on some level, although I doubted we had much in common except for Diesel.

“At a bar.” She wrinkled her nose. “We hooked up and I got knocked up. We hung out for a while, but he was a dead beat.”

“How old is Tia?” My throat pinched.

She narrowed her eyes. “She’s four. Five next month.”

I calculated back. So, this explained a lot. Diesels distance. His long weekends away. “Diesel wanted you to have something in case—” I could see Blaze watching me out of the corner of his eye. “—well, he wanted his daughter taken care of.”

“Yeah, this should be good.” She slumped her thin shoulders. I wondered how old she was. She couldn’t be much older than twenty five. My heart held lots of compassion, especially for Tia.

“Diesel made arrangements for Tia, financially.”

“Fuck! What happened? Did he die of a motorcycle accident or some shit like that?” Her face twisted. Was the news just sinking in?

“No. Nothing like that—” How could I tell her.

“He was murdered,” Blaze blurted. I shot him a look of irritation and he shrugged.

“Oh fuckity fuck!” She shifted from one bare foot to the other. I noticed she had a tattoo of a bird on her left foot. Diesel had one in the same spot. “Damn! That sucks. I mean, he wasn’t much of a man, but I wouldn’t wish that shit on anyone.”

My patience thinned. “He left money.”

Her eyes widened and gleamed. How did I know this would gain her interest? “He did? How much?” She leaned closer. She was all over the conversation now.

My mind reeled. I plotted and planned, I knew what I had to do. Diesel trusted me. “The money is set up in a trust fund and a portion will come to you in monthly installments, with a larger portion saved for Tia that will be available when she turns eighteen.” I didn’t know a lot about the subject, but from Abby’s confused expression, neither did she. I knew I couldn’t hand over the cash free and easy. “You won’t have to worry about whether you’ll receive it or not.” I ignored Blaze’s puzzled expression.

Some of the gleam left her face. “Figures he couldn’t just hand over the bread. I work my ass off at Chippey’s Bar, having my tits and ass pinched a dozen times a night by douche bags, and he thought he was being clever.” She sniffed. “I probably don’t get enough a month to pay rent for this shithole.”

“You’re installments should be sufficient enough to cover the needs for Tia.”

Abby coughed. “Yeah. And we’ll still be stuck in this fucking place.”

“He also had a house that he owned. It should go to Tia. If his name is on the birth certificate you should have no problem having the deed turned over. I’m sure you can sell it and find a nice neighborhood to raise your daughter in.”

“Hell yeah his name is on Tia’s birth certificate. I’m not fucking stupid. Ain’t no man going to screw me out of what’s rightly mine. I gave him a child and he had to pay. I have no clue about all of this real estate crap.”

“We will help make sure you get the house,” I offered. Blaze’s frown deepened. “I can hire an attorney.” And I would make sure Tia’s best interest remained the priority. “The details are still a little sketchy.”

Lines that shouldn’t adorn a young girl’s face appeared. I knew she’d seen bad times, and I wanted to help. I needed to make sure I did the right thing. “I don’t know, lady. I have a job here. I make good tips. How much do we get a month?”

“I’m sure there can be an arrangement for you to get a bigger first installment to help with moving expenses, and enough until you find another job.”

“Who are you exactly?” Abby asked.

“We were Diesel’s friends. I’m Rena and this is Blaze. You can trust us.”

That evening as Blaze and I were sitting on his bed, talking about how Diesel had us both fooled, I had a concern I needed voiced. “Will Abby and Tia be okay? I mean, will someone hurt them for the money?”

“Diesel never told anyone about Abby or Tia. If he had, I would have been the one. He never said a word. No one needs to know. How will you pay her each month? You can’t drop that much money into your bank account without someone being curious. I’m sure Agent Peterson is watching us closely.”