Breaking The Biker (The Biker Series) - An MC Gold Vipers Motorcycle Club Biker Romance Novel Read online

  “He’s a snob,” I said.

  She laughed grimly. “Yes. He certainly is. I used to think it was kind of cute, if you can believe it.”

  “Cute?” I repeated, frowning. “What’s cute about thinking you’re better than everyone else?”

  Joanna sat back in the chair and stared into the distance. “You’re right. It’s not. I guess I was so enamored by him when we first met that I excused everything. Now, I’d love to back over him with his new Bentley.”

  “I thought you two had a great relationship,” I said, turning onto the highway.

  She tapped her fingers on the door. “So did I. The last few months, however, he’s been a bear to live with. I’m not sure if it was Mark’s death or the fact that we weren’t able to conceive our own child, that’s made him so intolerable. He’s been spending so much time alone at the cabin, that I thought maybe he was having an affair. Now I know what he’s been up to, I’d almost prefer the cheating. No offense. I want Billy to be alive, but knowing that Phillip did something like this… it’s horrifying, to say the least.”

  “You’ve got that right. He’s going to prison, if what you say is true.” Although, as far as I was concerned, Phillip deserved much worse.

  “I know. Hell, I know more than anyone,” she mumbled.

  “When you saw Billy, at the cabin, was there anyone else besides Phillip staying there?”

  “I imagine there was, although I didn’t see anyone at the time. Someone has to be staying with Billy while Phillip is back in town.”

  “Speaking of which, what did he say when you confronted him about it?”

  “He told me that the boy in the cabin was the housekeeper’s son.”

  “You have a housekeeper for your cabin?” I asked incredulously.

  “Believe me, it was news to my ears, too. He claims that he hired one because the place was getting dusty and needed a good cleaning.”

  “Are you sure it wasn’t the housekeeper’s kid?” I asked, wondering if we were on a wild goose chase.

  “I’m positive. I know what I saw and it was your son,” she replied firmly.

  “But, you saw him from outside, right?”

  She looked over at me and smiled. “You’d have made a great lawyer.”

  “I doubt it. My judgement of people is pretty shitty these days.”

  “I’m certain that it was Billy. I got a good look inside and there’s no doubt in my mind of who it was playing Legos.”

  “Okay,” I said, wanting to believe it, but frightened that I’d be getting my hopes up for nothing. “I just hope that Phillip didn’t move him to another location.”

  “I hope not, too. After he told me about the housekeeper’s kid, I pretended to believe him. I don’t know if I fooled him or not, though.”

  “I guess we’ll find out.”

  “I guess so.”

  ***

  Both of us were quiet for much of the ride. After a while, she fell asleep and it wasn’t until we entered Waterloo that I tapped her on the shoulder.

  “Oh,” she said, blinking. “We’re here already.”

  “Yeah,” I replied, my stomach a ball of knots now that our destination was in reach. I could barely concentrate on the driving. All I could think about was finding Billy alive and ripping Phillip’s head off if I did.

  Joanna sat up straight. “Okay, you’re going to want to stay on this road for about two more miles. When you get to Wild Prairie Road, you’ll take a right.”

  “Okay,” I replied, gripping the steering wheel tightly.

  She frowned. “Do you want me to drive?”

  “Actually, that might be a good idea,” I said, pulling over to the side of the road. “You know the area anyway.”

  We got out and switched sides.

  “What if Phillip is there?” I asked, grabbing my purse from the backseat. I still had the gun hidden inside “When I spoke to him earlier, he said he was at the hospital, but he could have been lying.”

  “All I know is that he had two operations scheduled today. That’s what he said, anyway,” she replied.

  I pulled the handgun out of my purse.

  “Jesus, what are you doing with that thing?” she exclaimed.

  “You said so yourself – Phillip was dangerous,” I replied, checking the chamber.

  “Do you have a permit for that?”

  I looked at her and raised my eyebrows. “Really?”

  “Sorry. It’s the lawyer in me.”

  “This gun isn’t registered to me. I don’t have a permit. If we end up shooting the bastard, in self-defense of course, I’ll tell the police that we found the gun in the cabin. Just back my story.”

  She nodded. “God, this is crazy.”

  Something told me that it was going to get much crazier…

  Chapter 25

  After not hearing from Raptor for two hours, I decided to call him. For some reason, I couldn’t get Raina out of my mind and was curious as to what she was up to and if she’d met up with Cole. “What’s going on?”

  “We’re in Waterloo, Iowa,” he said.

  “Really?”

  “Yeah.”

  “She hasn’t spotted you?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “Okay. Call me back when you know something more.”

  “Okay.”

  I hung up the phone and decided to take a drive over to Griffin’s to check on things. When I arrived, Cheeks was there, managing the bar.

  “Hey, hot stuff,” she said, happy to see me. “Want a beer?”

  “No, I’m not staying,” I replied, looking toward the stage. It was Happy Hour and the place was packed. “New stripper?”

  “Yeah. Don’t you recognize her?”

  “No,” I replied.

  “Try looking at her face,” she said with a smirk.

  I tore my eyes away from her tits, which were on the smaller size but damn perky. “She looks familiar,” I said, looking at her profile. The girl had long, dark brown hair that was pulled back into a ponytail and pink, glossy lips. She reminded me a little of Raina, only not quite as sexy.

  “It’s my niece. Layla.”

  My eyes widened. “What? Your niece? Isn’t she underage?”

  “She was three years ago,” said Cheeks, “which was the last time you saw her. She just turned twenty-one last week.”

  “She’s filled out nicely,” I replied, remembering the way I’d been checking her out the last time I’d seen her. Now that she was legal and working in my bar, I thought I’d have been more stoked about getting down her pants. But surprisingly, she wasn’t doing anything other than making me think of Raina.

  “She has a major crush you,” said Cheeks, nodding toward Layla. “Be warned.”

  “You’re warning me?” I asked, chuckling. “Shouldn’t you be warning her about me?”

  “If I had, she’d be in your bed before her next dance.”

  “I’m sure she’s a real nice girl, but you know me, Cheeks,” I said, grabbing her ass. “I like my women with more meat on their bones.”

  She smiled in pleasure and grabbed my crotch. “And you already know how I feel about your meat, big guy.”

  I leaned over and whispered in her ear. “Actually, I don’t think I do remember. You have some extra time to remind me?”

  As if on cue, a large group of guys entered the bar. She groaned. “How about a raincheck?”

  “No problem,” I said, adjusting myself. “If the customers are happy, they spend more money, which,” I smiled, “makes the owner happy. Go make some money, darlin’.”

  She winked and walked over to serve the newcomers.

  I glanced at Layla, who was finishing up her school-girl routine, and went into the back to use the bathroom. When I was finished, I headed toward the business office.

  “Hi, Tank,” said a voice behind me.

  I turned around and found Layla standing there, wearing a pink bra and matching G-string. She was holding a handful of money in o
ne hand and a red plaid skirt in the other.

  “Hi, Layla,” I answered, her perfume or body-spray scent filling the hallway. It reminded me of cotton candy.

  She smiled. “I wasn’t sure if you remembered me.”

  “Of course I do, darlin’,” I replied, smiling. “How could I forget?”

  Layla walked toward me. “I’m so sorry to hear about your dad.”

  “Thanks.”

  With a sympathetic look, she threw her arms around my waist and hugged me. “I hope you catch that person who did it,” she said, resting her cheek against my chest.

  I awkwardly patted Layla on the back. “I’m working on it.”

  “He was such a sweet guy.”

  “I wasn’t aware that you knew him all that well.”

  “I didn’t. But, my aunt said he was one of the nicest guys she’d ever met.”

  “Nice?” I repeated, smiling. “He’d roll over in his grave if he heard the word being used to describe him.”

  Layla, who was still holding onto me, pressed her body into mine. “So, I saw you watching me on stage,” she murmured. “It turned me on.”

  “Watching you is part of my job, sweetheart,” I said, grabbing her right hand, which was moving dangerously close to my zipper. “I have to make sure you’re doing yours.”

  “Was I?”

  “Definitely.”

  “Did it turn you on?”

  I didn’t reply.

  She looked up at me, a wicked expression on her face. “I think it did. One thing is for certain, you turned me on,” she said, sliding her other hand over my bulge. “So does what’s trying to get out. Are you circumcised?”

  Torn between taking her back to the office and fucking the shit out of her or running like hell, I clenched my jaw and brushed her hand away. “Stop, Layla…”

  “But why? Do you have any idea how long I’ve been waiting to get together with you?” she pouted, now rubbing her chest against the front of my cut.

  I groaned. As horny as she was making me, I knew it would be wrong to bang the girl. Especially since her aunt and I were sometimes fuck-buddies. “Listen, sweetness, I’m flattered. I am. But, now that I own this place, I need to keep my relationships platonic with the girls working here,” I lied.

  Her face fell. “Seriously?”

  I wasn’t about to tell her about Cheeks. “Yes. Sorry, darlin’.”

  Sighing, Layla stepped back and then bent down to pick up some of the dollars she’d dropped. “Fine, but you don’t know what you’re missing.”

  Watching her tight little ass bending down to pick up the bills made what I was missing abundantly clear. Not trusting myself to say ‘no’ again, I turned and began heading toward the office. “I’m sure you’re right, but business is business. By the way, keep up the good work,” I called back to her.

  “Thanks,” she answered, still glowering.

  My cell phone buzzed as soon as I walked into the office. When I saw that it was Tail, I answered quickly. “What’s up?”

  “Some shit is going down.”

  “Talk to me,” I said, closing my door.

  “We followed Raina and her friend to this cabin in Waterloo and they disappeared inside. Shortly after, we heard gunfire.

  I swore. “Where’s Raptor?”

  “He’s checking it out. Told me to call you.”

  “Okay. Go help Raptor. I’m heading your way.”

  He gave me quick directions. After we hung up, I grabbed my keys and rushed out of the bar.

  Chapter 26

  As we neared Joanna and Phillip’s log cabin, she slowed the car down.

  “Look, there’s a car parked outside. It was there last night, next to Phillip’s,” she said, pointing up the dirt road.

  It was a newer red BMW. “And you’re not sure whose it is?”

  “No. I thought it was someone he was having an affair with, but I left so fast, I didn’t get a chance to see the owner.”

  “Maybe this person is the one caring for Billy?”

  “That’s what I’m wondering. I’m parking back here. They’ll see us if we get too close,” she said, pulling behind some trees.

  Catching another glimpse of the home, I couldn’t help but feel like I was very much out of my element. The cabin, which had to be over ten-thousand square feet, looked like something out of an architectural magazine.

  “This place is breathtaking,” I said, staring at the large, rustic retreat.

  “Thanks. It took two years to build,” she said, shutting off the car.

  “I bet,” I replied, feeling a stab of envy. I could never provide such a luxurious home for Billy and it made me feel so inadequate.

  “I know. It looks a little overwhelming,” admitted Joanna. “And, honestly, I think it’s too much for just the two of us. I wanted something cozy and quaint, but Phillip insisted on going big.” She smirked. “Probably because he lacks in size, if you get my drift.”

  I smiled. “That explains a lot.”

  “Well, are you ready?” she asked, holding out the keys to me.

  I grabbed them.

  “Let’s go and find your son.”

  Dropping the keys into my purse, I pulled out the gun. “Let’s go.”

  She frowned. “Do you know how to use that thing?”

  “Yes.”

  She sighed. “If this goes bad, I wasn’t here. I foresee a divorce in my near future, and I can’t afford to lose my job.”

  “I understand,” I said, getting out of the vehicle.

  Joanna got out, too, and we began making our way to the back of the cabin. When we reached the door, she pulled a set of keys out of her purse. “This is crazy, but I shouldn’t be so nervous about going into my own home. I’m really beginning to hate Phillip for making me feel this way.”

  “Welcome to the club.”

  She slid the key into the door and let out a ragged breath. “Okay. Here goes nothing.”

  I watched as Joanna unlocked the door and then followed her inside to an impressive entertainment area. Not only was there an eighty-inch projector television, but they had twelve leather loungers facing it. There was also a popcorn machine behind the seating area, and a soda dispenser.

  “Obviously, this is our media room,” she said, closing the door behind us. “We’ve never used it, but Phillip insisted that we needed something like this.”

  “It’s nice,” I replied. “And I love that smell.” The giant room smelled like cedar and leather.

  “I used to, but quite honestly, it’s making me sick to my stomach,” she said, looking around. “All of it. You know, the more that I learn about my husband, the more nauseous I become.”

  I didn’t know how to respond, since I couldn’t stand him myself.

  “Come on. Let’s go search the rest of the house.”

  I followed her out and we quietly checked the remaining rooms in the basement. Not finding anyone, we headed toward the staircase.

  She turned around and looked at me. “This will lead into the kitchen. So be prepared,” she whispered.

  “I’m surprised you don’t have a security system,” I whispered back as we started up the stairs.

  “He’s been meaning to get one installed. You hear that?” she whispered, stopping abruptly.

  There were muffled voices coming from the other side of the door.

  “I think it’s the TV,” I whispered.

  “There’s one in the kitchen.”

  I recognized the music and voices from a television show Billy adored, Dora, the Explorer. Then we both heard the sound of a young child laughing.

  “I told you. It’s him. He’s here,” she whispered, beaming a smile at me

  I quickly went around her, needing to see if my son was actually in the house.

  “Wait,” she whispered loudly.

  Ignoring Joanna, I cracked the door open slightly and peeked through. The first thing I noticed was a woman sitting down at the kitchen island, engrossed in a book. She ap
peared to be in her fifties, had white hair, and was dressed to the nines. Something about her was familiar, but I wasn’t sure what. Feeling more courageous, I opened the door a little wider and that’s when I almost fell backwards to my death. My two-year-old son, the love of my life, was seated in a high chair, watching television and eating crackers. His left arm was in some kind of a sling, but other than that, he was alive and breathing.

  My eyes filled with tears. “Oh, my God… Billy!” I gasped, flinging the door open. I rushed over to where he was seated and set the gun down to free him from the high-chair.

  “Mommy,” he cried happily, raising his right hand to me as I pulled the plastic top off.

  “You get away from him,” snapped the older woman, coming to life.

  “Raina, watch out,” said Joanna in a strangled voice.

  I looked over my shoulder and found myself staring into the barrel of a gun.

  “Mommy,” whined Billy, trying to get the seatbelt off by himself. “Out.”

  “Put the gun down,” I said, furious at myself for putting mine down.

  “Back away from him,” she said, ignoring me. “Now.”

  “No. This is my son and there is nothing you can do to make me leave him,” I said, my voice shaky.

  “Betty, what in the hell are you doing?” said Joanna, taking a step closer to her.

  It was then that I recognized the woman. She was Phillip and Mark’s estranged aunt. Mark had mentioned a few times that the woman was crazy. I’d never suspected just how much.

  “You stay out of this,” ordered Betty, waving the gun back and forth between the two of us now. “Jake!” she cried loudly.

  Not understanding why I wasn’t getting him out of the high-chair, Billy began to cry.

  “It’s okay,” I said, turning away from Betty again. As threatening as she was, I could tell by the look in her eyes that she wouldn’t actually shoot me. At least, I hoped I was reading that correctly.

  “You’re insane,” said Joanna. “Do you know how much trouble you’re in?”

  “Shut up,” she replied. “And you… get away from him.”