Calming the Riot Page 2

  Tyler spoke in terse tones. “It may be just a block away, but I worry about that asshole stalking you.”

  “Tyler, I told you. I’ve got a restraining order against Gil—”

  “At what distance? Nothin’ says he couldn’t sit and watch you, and then what? You’re walkin’ home, leading him right to where you live.”

  I put a placating hand onto his arm. “I appreciate the concern. Really, I do, but I’m pretty sure he learned his lesson. It’s not cheap to get arrested. So, he’s not likely to be an issue. Plus, I’ve got my taser.”

  From my purse, I pulled my taser-flashlight combination. “See, it’s purple. Dude will never know what’s comin’.”

  Tyler shook his head at me. “Be careful with that thing, and be safe, Andrea.”

  CHAPTER TWO

  Andrea

  The following morning I walked from my condo to the office building. As I approached, I noticed a blue Jeep Liberty was parked in the lot. When I got closer, the driver got out, and I smiled hugely at Jacqueline Adler, an old friend of mine.

  I picked up my pace and threw my arms wide to hug her when I got close. “You’re showing!” I exclaimed.

  “Yeah,” Jackie said.

  She was wearing a white t-shirt with silver swirls along the side of her burgeoning belly and had paired it with khaki shorts. Her brown eyes were glittering at me with her happiness.

  “Jeepers! You’re beaming and glowing. I’m not sure if I can stand it, you’re so gorgeous, Mama!”

  She giggled at me. “Stop it, Andi!”

  “Not a chance. Let’s go inside. Get you some tea or orange juice.”

  While I poured Jackie some juice, I asked, “So, are you the one who referred me to Liar?”

  “Umm…,” Jackie drawled. Then said, “I told Frankie about you, so it should have been her or Vamp to come by.”

  “Well, does either one have a brother named ‘Liar?’”

  She giggled again as she sat down in the only other chair in my lobby beside the one behind my desk. “Liar’s one of our newest brothers, so yeah, Vamp would be his brother.”

  “Okay, well, thanks for giving me their business.”

  Jackie gave me a hard look. “Don’t thank me. You’re good at what you do. You deserve that and then some.”

  I chuckled. “You’re good for my ego, Jackie.”

  “Whatever! Why do you look like you’re unsure about something?”

  “It’s nothing. I’m so glad you’re here! You know I want to throw you a baby shower, so tell me, Mama-to-be, what’s your date of choice or more importantly time of choice? You told me last month you were going to bed at like a quarter after five and sleeping until seven in the morning…so should this be like a nooner type of bash?”

  She smiled. “Stop it, you! When you’ve got a tiny human growing inside you and usurping your every ounce of energy, you’ll feel my pain! That isn’t why I dropped by, Andi. I wanted to invite you to a party at our house in a week or so. Volt’s being a little cagey on the exact date, but you should be there. It maybe October, but around here it still feels like summer, and you need to unwind.”

  I arched an eyebrow at her. “You could have called about that, you know.”

  “Yeah, but I wanted to see you and find out if Liar offended you.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Well…I was eavesdropping, so I shouldn’t be saying anything, but—”

  “But, what?” I asked when she hesitated.

  “It sounded like he thought he offended you.”

  I sighed and made a cup of herbal tea. “He accused me of chanting ‘Ohm,’ and such. It was too close to expecting a ‘happy ending.’ He had no way of knowing that, so it’s all water under the bridge.”

  Her eyes sparkled as she examined me. “You like him.”

  I didn’t like him. I didn’t even know him. But I wanted him in the worst way for no reason aside from the physical.

  “I don’t even know him, Jay-girl!”

  Jackie smacked her thigh. “You’re frazzled, girl!”

  I scoffed and sat down at my desk. “No. I just know you love to matchmake. Would have thought you learned your lesson back when we were roommates. Unfortunately, you’re barking up the wrong tree.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  I shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. What’s the occasion for this bash in a couple weeks or more?”

  Jackie waved a hand at me feebly. “Honey, they’re bikers. There’s hardly ever a ‘reason’ to party. However, the Biloxi chapter’s comin’ in and Volt’s having some of the officers over.”

  “Fine. Your baby shower? I need at least a minor amount of direction…because I knew you before Volt and after Volt, so it damn sure ain’t gonna be a bike-week type of baby shower. No offense to your new friends and brethren, but seriously, it didn’t escape me way back when that you dreamed of a family no matter how small or big that family came to you. Just so long as there were copious amounts of love in that family, between you and Mr. Adler alone, there is a boat-load of love to go around, so add your teensie offspring to the mix, and the love-fest will be off the freakin’ charts. Regardless of all of that, I’ve earned more than the ever-loving right to throw your shower, so what’s the preferred direction?”

  The look on Jackie’s face seemed full of admiration. I was guessing it was because I rarely demonstrated such a passionate display about anything…let alone a baby shower. I was just happy she was impressed.

  “You’re right, Andrea. You’ve more than earned the right. Tell Volt and me when you want to host it, and we’ll make it happen.”

  “Fine. I’ll call you about it later. Now, you got any aches and pains I can help to alleviate? I can set up the massage chair in no time.”

  “Fibber,” she said over the rim of her cup. “I remember how you struggled with that damn thing when you bought it. Regardless, I’m good. Little tater-tot is being kind to me these days.”

  I took a sip of my tea and regretted it almost immediately because Jackie spoke. “You want me to let Liar know you’re interested?”

  Swallowing hard, I managed not to snort, spit or spew warm tea from my face. “No. Definitely not, Jackie-A,” I said with a croaky voice.

  My former roommate gave the ceiling an exasperated look. “It’s been a long time since you called me that, and I can’t say I enjoy it anymore now than I did then.”

  “Ha! Well, good. It’s served me well over the years. Besides, I don’t know why it bugs you. You’re gorgeous and have that classic look that Jackie O had. It’s a freaking compliment as a nickname for heaven’s sake.”

  She gave me a narrowed look with no malice behind it. “Make you a deal. Don’t call me that, and I won’t mention anything about your interest in Jim.”

  My head cocked slightly. “His name’s Jim?”

  “Shit. I should’ve called him by his road name, but yes, that’s his name. Try not to let him know I told you, ‘kay?”

  I shook my head at her and fought rolling my eyes to boot. “Honey, I’m not gonna ever see him again.”

  Liar

  A heavy hand thumped Liar's back, and then Cal sat down next to him at the bar. “Liar.”

  “Cal,” he said into his half-full pint glass. He’d had his patch for over a week now, but Liar could tell his new road name still threw some of the brothers for a loop.

  “Hard not to call you ‘Prospect’ sometimes.”

  “Difficult to respond to Liar as a road name sometimes, but it damn sure beats the shit-shoveling that comes with prospecting. Where’s Mallory?”

  Cal shook his head. “She and Jackie went to see Jackie’s massage therapist friend.”

  Liar didn’t respond, not that a response was necessary, but he damn sure didn’t want to talk about Jackie’s friend.

  Another hand smacked Liar on his back at the top of his patch, and Volt settled on the bar stool on his left. “How’s it hangin’, Liar?”

  “Good. You?”
<
br />   “Fine. Decent day at the shop?”

  As a fully patched member, Liar had taken a more prominent role at the club’s pawn shop. His Gramps and Grandmere had run a small antique shop in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. Some of the best memories from his childhood were from that antique shop. While Hock didn’t deal primarily in antiques, it had a similar feel. There were regulars who visited Gramps and Gran every month, and Hock had its fair share of regular customers who Liar knew by name. Early in his recruitment, Major and Rage noticed he negotiated with customers as well as they did, and they had been in charge of the shop for the last ten years. Today had been his first day running the shop solo.

  “Pretty slow, but that man with the sweet ‘71 Trans-Am called today.”

  Volt chuckled. “I bet he did. He lower his price any?”

  Liar snorted. “Not yet. Wants me to come back by his place. Says the car runs now.”

  “Right,” Volt drawled.

  Liar drained his beer and put the glass back on the bar. “Yeah. He had that baby runnin’, he’d get his steep offer from some schmoe off Craigslist or somethin’. Whatever. Patch isn’t workin’ tomorrow, so we’re gonna head down there in a wrecker.”

  Volt nodded as a new prospect placed a high-ball glass in front of him. There was a finger of Jack in the glass. As a prospect, it had been drilled into Liar’s brain that the only thing Volt drank was two or more fingers of Jack, so seeing a single measure in front of Volt wasn’t right.

  “You cuttin’ back or somethin’, Prez?”

  With a scathing look, Volt shook his head. “No. I’m drivin’ Jacqueline home tonight.”

  The prospect, who had just pulled another beer for Liar, scoffed. “What the hell for? Pregnant old lady, you got a designated driver for nine months.”

  Cal slammed his fist on the bar. “He wasn’t fuckin’ talkin’ to you, prospect. You’re in your first week here, so I’ll refrain from underlining my words with a punch in the face, but there better not be a next time.”

  The prospect clenched his jaw and sauntered to the other end of the bar to dry glasses. Cal looked at Volt. “Jackie still havin’ issues with motion sickness?”

  “On and off. Bottom line, she’s probably gonna be tired as hell, so I’m pickin’ her ass up whenever she’s done.”

  Liar envied Cal and Volt. They had loyal women in their beds. The love between those couples was so strong you could see it. Liar wanted that, and for a brief time in his twenties, he thought he had it. Life hadn’t taken that woman away from him, but he was still smacked in the face with the knowledge that kind of commitment was not available to a man like him. Most people thought reality bites, but the fact was Liar knew reality didn’t ‘bite,’ it had fangs which sunk in deep and sucked every last bit of good from his life. He couldn’t continue to sit at the bar with these two men while they talked about their lives moving forward. Cal was so vocal about Mallory’s implanted contraceptive being removed in just three more months; Liar was amazed the local newspaper hadn’t picked up the story. To say he was chomping at the bit to knock up his old lady was an understatement of the first order.

  To Liar’s immense relief, Roll trudged into the common room. Picking up his glass, he wandered over to Roll before the big man sat down.

  “You took my money Thursday. You up for a re-match? Double it this time to two hundred.”

  Roll stroked his goatee in a show of contemplation. Liar knew this man was itching to rack ‘em up. “Like your terms, but how about you add a bet on the Alabama game to the pot.”

  Liar gave him a nonplussed look and shook his head. “Might be stupid to rematch with you, but I ain’t that stupid.”

  Roll shrugged one shoulder. “You are from Mississippi. Figured it was worth a shot.”

  ***

  Nearly two hours later, Liar had two crisp hundred dollar bills in his wallet and a belly full of garlic chicken from the Chinese place down the street. Cal had decreed the prospect had penance to pay for inserting himself into the conversation earlier, so every brother there at the time wound up with a free meal. Liar did not miss being on the receiving end of that shit. As he tossed his Styrofoam food container into a large garbage bin, Volt cornered him.

  “You really think you can make a go of this turnin’ and flippin’ older vehicles?”

  Liar’s lips thinned. “Yeah. It’ll take a lot of time, though.”

  Volt’s chin lifted sharply. “Got that. Major and I’ve been tryin’ to talk Patch into startin’ his own mechanic business. No real luck with that yet. You findin’ older cars and then him puttin’ in the necessary repairs…could be damn lucrative.”

  Before Liar could play devil’s advocate to that notion, Razor joined their huddle. “Prez. Got the word from Neil. The girls night-in is ending. Cal, Vamp and I are ridin’ out in five. Liar, you should ride out with us. Not much traffic on Wells road on a Tuesday night.”

  Liar’s refusal was on the tip of his tongue, but Volt spoke first. “Yeah. I’m in the Hummer. You really should go, if for no other reason than to put your knees in the breeze.”

  His president’s statement sounded offhand, but the glint in his eye said it was anything but an offhand statement.

  Liar acquiesced, but slightly. “Sure. I’ll ride, but then I’m out.”

  Ten minutes later, Liar found that Razor was right. There wasn’t much traffic on Wells, and it was one of the curvier roads in the nearby area which made the ride more interesting. At the corner of Wells and Highway 17, they were all stopped at a traffic light. Razor was idling next to Jim and lifted a hand to get Liar’s attention.

  “Follow us into the complex when we get there,” he shouted.

  Jim shook his head. “No way.”

  “Pussy!”

  “Saved your ass not two weeks ago, you fucker! Didn’t think I was a pussy then.”

  “What can I say? You’re gettin’ soft now that you got a patch!”

  The light turned green, and Razor shot forward. Liar decided to suck it up. There wasn’t any reason for him to go to this complex, which also meant there wasn’t any reason for him to be so adamant not to go either. When he followed Vamp and Cal onto Stiles Avenue, he felt sure there was a mistake. This was the route to the massage place. No way this chick lived in that entirely too nondescript building. When they roared past the building Liar suspected they were all fucking with him, but then Vamp and Cal started leaning left and turned into an older complex of apartments-turned-condominiums.

  Liar dismounted his bike and took in the two-story buildings. They appeared to be built in the seventies, but in the dark, it was hard for him to be sure. The buildings surrounded a central area with a pool. It was not even a block from Warm Vibes. Who lived this close to where they worked? Vamp and Cal were sauntering toward a staircase like they knew where they were going. He fell in step with Razor and followed. By the time he and Razor got to the top of the landing, Jackie was standing in the doorway ushering them in.

  “Sorry, Cal. I tried, really I did, but you know Mallory and the red wine. Plus with Frankie here—”

  Cal put a placating hand on Jackie’s bicep. “No worries, Jackie. Worst case scenario, you and Volt can drop her at my place. Sorry if you’re dog tired, but it won’t be too far outta your way.”

  Liar fully expected to find a sloppy drunk Mallory on their hands when they entered the apartment. Instead, Mallory was clearing a small coffee table of what looked like a fishbowl filled with a deep shovel-full of the nearest woods. Dark soil was at the bottom, with a mossy layer at the top, but a light scattering of mulch sat on top of the moss. Some sticks poked up from the soil. Mallory power-walked past him and Razor to put the bowl on a breakfast bar. With the bowl so close to him, Liar realized it was some strange bowl of potpourri. The thought of potpourri forced him to sniff the air. This place did not smell like lavender. Maybe the woman didn’t naturally gravitate toward lavender. It was known for being a relaxant, which would soothe tense clients.

>   Liar was pulled from his thoughts when Mallory returned to the coffee table announcing, “We have to play it, y’all. It’s great, and now that the boys are here, it will be even better.”

  “Mallory,” Jackie started.

  “Jackie!” Mallory said a little too loud.

  “Sweetcheeks,” Cal grumbled.

  Mallory assumed her one of her signature stances, with a hand on her hip and her eyes narrowed at Cal. “Don’t you ‘sweetcheeks’ me right now, mister.”

  While those two had their Mexican stand-off, Liar surreptitiously looked around. Being too obvious would be rude, or at least that was what his Gran had drilled into him at an early age. If he thought Andrea was out of his league when first he saw her, being inside her home made it an indisputable fact. She didn’t have much, but what she had showed she had taste and class. Liar had thought this trip would be quick and easy, but he was wrong in a huge way. As the time spent in her home stretched, Liar finally found something wrong with her. She was tense. Liar didn’t deal with uptight chicks. In fact, he found it strange the other chicks got along with her. She was uptight to the point of unyielding. Mallory, Frankie, and Neil had an easy way about them. Not loose and not push overs because they got feisty as fuck when pushed, but they were almost pliant with their men. This chick demonstrated none of that. Whatever. None of that mattered to him. She wasn’t for him. This just solidified it for reasons that went above and beyond her being ‘out of his league.’

  Liar saw Vamp staring hard at Andrea.

  Frankie noticed too, because she cried out, “Will you stop ogling her! God! You’re even making me uncomfortable, and I’m used to the way you stare at chicks.”