Fearing The Biker Page 10

  “Right. You hate cruises. You said so yourself,” replied Slammer. “Many, many times.”

  He was right, of course. For some reason I had a major phobia about cruising. The one and only time I’d went, I’d been sixteen and it had been a miserable experience. Not only had I been sea-sick, but I’d felt trapped. Even now, the idea of being in the middle of the ocean and stuck on a ship was harrowing. “I don’t hate them. I just don’t like being confined to a ship.”

  “To be perfectly honest, I don’t like cruise ships either,” admitted Jordan, staring off into space. “Don’t like confinement.”

  Just like he wouldn’t want to be confined to me, I thought.

  “So, what do you say?” asked Slammer. “Will you do it?”

  Jordan looked at me. “Only if she agrees to do what I ask, no questions asked.”

  I raised my eyebrows. “What is that supposed to mean?”

  Tank chuckled. “I don’t think anyone can get her to promise that.”

  “That’s the way it has to be,” he said, matter-of-factly. “She follows my orders, I’ll agree.”

  Slammer looked at me. “This is some serious shit, Jessica. Your life is in danger and we need to get you out of Jensen. You stay here and you might end up in the back of someone’s van again. Or worse; dead in a ditch.”

  I grimaced.

  “Pop is right,” said Tank. “I’d like to say that we can keep you safe, but mistakes happen. You’ve already been through enough. Let’s get you somewhere safe and away from the club until we fix what’s going on.”

  I sighed. “How long do I have to disappear for? You know I’m supposed to be starting my internship soon.”

  “At least a week. Maybe two,” said Slammer. “If it ends up being longer, I’m sure that you can tell the hospital that your mother is very ill and you can’t leave her.”

  “Where would we go?” I asked, turning back to Jordan.

  He looked at Slammer and then back to me. “I have a cabin, somewhere. You won’t know the location until after we arrive.”

  “So, I’m disappearing with you and nobody will know where I am?” I said dryly. “Not even Slammer or Tank?”

  “That’s the point,” he answered. “You’re going to disappear.”

  “I agree. Take her somewhere safe. Somewhere private. The less we all know, the better,” replied Slammer.

  Chapter Sixteen

  “Fine. When do we leave?” she asked.

  “Right now,” I said, still a little stunned that I was agreeing to this. I’d never brought my work home with me and deep down I knew that this was a mistake. I just couldn’t say seem to tell them “no”. Not when I knew how much danger Jessica was in. The thought of Reaper getting his hands on her again was pissing me off. I would have rather just went after him myself, but something was making me lean toward this route, instead. Maybe it was her smile or her red toenails. I just wasn’t quite ready to say goodbye to either yet. “You’d better go and pack some stuff. We need to leave soon.”

  “Right now? Can’t we wait until my mother gets home?” she asked, biting her lower lip. “I know she’ll be upset when she finds out I’ve left Jensen. If I could just have a few minutes with her, before I ‘disappear’?”

  “Sorry, but unless she’s due back in the next thirty minutes, we need to go,” I replied. “If your life is in danger, the worst thing that we can do is hang out here any longer.”

  “He’s right,” said Slammer, scratching his head. “Go and pack. You can call your mother and let her know what’s going on.”

  “Just do it before we take off,” I said. “In fact, I’m going to have to ask you to leave your phone here.”

  “Leave my phone?” she repeated, her eyes wide. “Why?”

  “Cell phones can be traced,” I said. “If Reaper has someone working for him who can access that information, we may as well put out a welcoming mat for him.” Plus, I still wasn’t sure how he’d found out I was arriving in Cedar Rapids. There had to be a leak, either on Slammer’s end or my contact, Brett. Then there was Barney. I couldn’t imagine him giving me away, though. He didn’t even know what I really looked like.

  “I could keep my phone turned off,” she said. “Problem solved.”

  “No. Too risky. You’ll want to check your messages later. The urge will be too great. You can use my phone if you need to get a hold of someone,” I answered.

  She sighed in frustration. “Fine.”

  “Pop, come to think of it - we could use Jessica’s phone to lure Reaper out of town and then take care of him,” said Tank, crossing his arms under his chest. “Hell, we could kill him outside of Jensen. You know if we take him out here, the Feds are going to be all over that.”

  “If he tries tracking her that way,” said Slammer, frowning. “More than likely he’ll just send his club back to the house, in hopes of kidnapping her again. That’s how those fuckers work.”

  “Yeah, but they know you’ll be waiting for them this time. Unless Reaper is a complete idiot, they’re going to try something different,” I replied.

  “If we spread the word on the street that Jessica is in hiding, they might try tracking her cell phone,” insisted Tank.

  “I don’t know. It might be a long shot,” said Slammer. “We’ll have to talk more about it. Jessica. You’d better go and pack. Leave your phone, though. In case we need to go that route.”

  Frowning, she got up and headed toward her bedroom.

  “How much is this going to cost me?” asked Slammer, when she was out of ear-shot.

  “That depends on how long she stays with me.”

  “Can he get a discount because she’s cute?” asked Tank, grinning.

  “I should charge you more because of it.”

  He snorted. “Why?”

  “She stands out. Where we’re going, she’ll be remembered.”

  “Don’t take her into town, then,” said Tank.

  “To be honest, I’m not too worried about it,” I replied and then told Slammer my price.

  Tank whistled. “Why don’t I just take her somewhere for a few weeks?”

  “Because I need your help with the club,” said Slammer. “And Son, I hate to say it, but you’re dangerous with women. With my luck you’ll end up in bed with Jessica.”

  Tank’s face darkened. “It’s not like that between us. We might not be blood related, but as far as I’m concerned, she’s my sister.”

  Slammer patted him on the back. “That’s good. I was hoping you’d say that.” He looked at me. “I expect the same out of you. I’m paying you to keep her safe. If you touch her…”

  “Don’t worry. I don’t mix business with pleasure,” I replied. Of course, there wasn’t much pleasure in my personal life, either.

  “Something tells me that you might need to remind Jessica of that,” said Tank, smirking.

  “Why is that?” I asked, surprised.

  Tank lowered his voice. “I saw the way she was looking at you. Like a love-sick puppy.”

  All I’d seen in her eyes was hesitation and fear. “Sorry, but I caught none of that.”

  “Whether she likes you or not, Jessica is fragile and needs protection. Nothing else,” said Slammer, his voice also low. “It’s been three years since she was attacked and she’s still skittish around men. Keeps her distance and doesn’t like to be touched.” He clenched his jaw. “That fucker, Breaker, really did a number on her.”

  “Don’t worry. There won’t be anything going on that you wouldn’t approve of,” I replied, as Jessica stepped back into the living room holding a large backpack.

  “You’re all set?” asked Slammer, walking over to her.

  “I just need to call my mother, first,” she replied, setting the bag down.

  “Okay. I’ll be right back. I need a beer,” said Slammer, walking into the kitchen. “It’s been a long day.”

  “No shit. Bring one for me, too,” called Tank.

  “You’d better put som
e jeans on,” I told Jessica.

  She looked confused. “Why?”

  “We’re taking a motorcycle,” I replied. “We wipe out and I’d hate to see those legs get road-rash.”

  “Oh. I suppose I’d better go and change then,” she answered, staring at me funny.

  After she left the room, Tank snorted. “Those legs?”

  I shrugged. “Don’t read anything into that,” I said. “I’d hate to see anyone get road-rash.”

  “Right,” he answered, obviously not believing me.

  ***

  Twenty minutes later, we were outside and getting ready to leave. I’d made her grab a leather jacket, which she’d also grumbled about. It was indeed hot outside, but I knew that if we did run into problems on the road, I didn’t want any part of her getting hurt.

  “Here,” I said, handing her my helmet.

  “What about you?” she asked, her eyes widening. “Shouldn’t you have a helmet, just in case?”

  It took me a few seconds to answer. Jessica was standing close and her tanned face glowed under the sunlight. She looked so young and sweet that it caught me off guard. “I’ll be fine. We only have a couple hours of riding.”

  “Slammer, do you have an extra helmet?” she asked him. He was standing behind us, keeping an eye on the street.

  “Your mother’s,” he sighed, “but it’s in her car at the moment. Sorry.”

  “Don’t worry about it. It’s not a problem.” I got on the bike and slipped my sunglasses on. “You ready?”

  Jessica nodded and then turned to Slammer. I couldn’t help but appreciate the way her jeans hugged her heart-shaped ass as she reached up to give him a hug.

  “Goodbye, Hon,” he said, patting her on the back. “Just remember, you’re in good hands.”

  I couldn’t hear what she replied back, but Slammer told her not to worry. He released Jessica and then Tank pulled her in for a hug.

  “I’m going to miss you,” he said, kissing her on the forehead and then he looked at me. “Call us when you get to your location. So we know she’s safe.”

  “Definitely,” I replied.

  Tank released Jessica and she turned to look at me, her eyes filled with anxiety.

  “You okay?” I asked, wondering again what in the hell I was doing.

  She nodded.

  “Did you get a chance to call your mother?” I asked.

  “Yes.”

  “She upset?”

  “You could say that. She wanted to be here, but… she understands,” replied Jessica. She turned to look at Slammer. “By the way, I left my cell phone on the kitchen counter. Try not to lose it.”

  “If we do, I’ll buy you a different one. I know you’ve had your eye on the newest model,” he replied, winking.

  “I’m holding you to it, although I don’t care as much about the phone as I do my Contact information.” She slipped the helmet on over her head. “Maybe you could go down the list and write all of the names and numbers, since I didn’t have time to do it myself.”

  “Sounds like a job for Tank,” said Slammer, smirking.

  Tank grunted.

  I started the bike and she got on behind me.

  “You want us to follow you to the edge of town?” asked Slammer.

  “No. That might draw more attention,” I replied, wanting to get away from the house. “We’ll call you later.”

  He nodded.

  “Hold on to me tightly,” I told her, noticing that Jessica was barely touching me.

  She tightened her hold, but only slightly.

  I took off and as soon as the speedometer needle began to rise, she clung to me.

  “You ever ride before?” I hollered, admittedly enjoying the feel of her arms around my waist.

  “Yeah. Tank’s given me a ride on his a couple of times.”

  “Don’t you like it?”

  “Yes. It just takes me a few minutes to relax. Plus, we’ve never been on a long trip together. This will be my first.”

  “Then I’ll make sure it’s as good for you as it is for me,” I said, and then kicked it down.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Riding on the back of Jordan’s bike, going God knows where, it all felt surreal. I kept wondering if last night’s fiasco even happened and if the intriguing man in front of me was part of a dream. I almost hoped not, because there was something about him that got under my skin. Yes, I knew that he was dangerous and had done some pretty dark things, but, there was no denying that when he looked at me, my knees felt like jelly and my heart beat a little faster. It wasn’t just that he was gorgeous, smelled amazing, and had a smile that belonged in the movies; there was something in his eyes…

  I’d always heard that they were the windows into the soul and when I looked into his, I wondered if we had much more in common than either of us realized. We’d both been victims of monsters and although we were dealing with the abuse in totally different ways, it was obvious that we’d both survived some pretty unspeakable horrors.

  “You okay?” he hollered, as we left another small town.

  “Yes. How much longer?” I yelled back.

  “Another forty minutes!”

  “Okay!”

  I thought about the days ahead and wondered again where this intriguing man was taking me. The thought of being alone with him had been frightening, at first, but now I was feeling more of a squirmy excitement. The man, who everyone called ‘The Judge’, wasn’t what I’d expected and it was definitely a relief. Of course, I was basing what I felt by looks, which I knew was wrong, but something in my gut told me that although he was a killer, he wasn’t necessarily a bad man.

  Jordan suddenly pointed up at the sky, toward a beautiful eagle and slowed slightly. As we drove, it almost appeared to be following us and I had to smile.

  “Those were endangered, not too long ago,” he hollered as it veered away from us.

  “I know.”

  “The world is pretty messed up.”

  “It certainly is,” I answered, staring at his gloved hands.

  ***

  Twenty-five minutes later, we were entering Cedar Rapids.

  “What are we doing here?” I asked, stiffening up as we passed the sign welcoming us.

  “We’re catching a plane.”

  I relaxed. “Oh. Okay.”

  As we drove toward the airport, I half-expected that we would run into one of the Devil’s Rangers. We lucked out.

  When we arrived at the small airport, we dropped the bike off at a rental garage and grabbed our belongings from the saddle bags. Then he made a phone call to someone named Barney. When he was finished, he nodded toward the restrooms.

  “I need to use the bathroom. I’ll be out shortly.”

  “Okay,” I replied.

  “Would you like something to drink?” he asked, motioning toward a small café that was down the hall.

  “Actually, that sounds like a good idea. I’m a little thirsty.”

  “Here,” he said, pulling out his wallet. He handed me some cash. “It’s going to be a long flight, so if you could get us a couple of sandwiches and maybe a bag of pretzels? Also, grab a couple of bottled water.”

  “What kind of sandwiches?”

  “Whatever looks good; I’m not picky.”

  “Okay. I have money, too, you know. I can help pay for some of this.”

  “Don’t worry about it. Just thank Slammer when you see him, next. This trip is on him,” he replied, smiling.

  I smiled back. Of course it was. “Will do.”

  “I’ll meet you at the café.”

  “Okay.”

  After he disappeared into the bathroom, I headed over to the small bistro and did what he asked. Then I sat down and began drinking one of the bottles of water. As I was screwing the cap back on, a man sat down next to me. Before I could tell him the seat was taken, he smiled and my jaw dropped.

  Jordan.

  “Why are undercover?” I whispered, stunned that he was now wea
ring a short blonde wig and glasses. He’d also done something to his jet-black eyebrows, because they were now much lighter, matching the new goatee surrounding his mouth.

  “In my line of work, I wear many disguises,” he said softly. “This one I use for traveling with the man who’ll be flying us to my cabin. He thinks my name is Jim, by the way. Jim Blake.”

  “Not very original,” I replied, smirking “What about me? Shouldn’t I be wearing a disguise?”

  He looked around. “Maybe, but there’s no time. Here comes our pilot, by the way.”

  I followed his eyes and saw an older man with grey hair heading toward us. “Long time no see,” he said, smiling as he shook Jordan’s hand. “What happened? They fire you, Jim?”

  “No. Had a family emergency. This is my cousin, Jessica. She just separated from her husband and needs a quiet place to stay. Figured the cabin would be perfect.”

  “Nice meeting you, Jessica,” said the man, holding out his hand. “I’m Barney.”

  “Hi,” I replied, shaking it.

  “I didn’t know you had family in Iowa, Jim,” said Barney, staring at me curiously.

  “I’m actually from Minnesota,” I replied, before he could answer. “I drove out here earlier today, to meet up with him.” I grabbed Jordan’s hand and noticed him flinch, but thankfully, Barney didn’t seem to notice. “I’m so grateful that you’re letting me stay, Jimmy.”

  Regaining his composure, his lip curled up in a half smile. “We’re family. It’s the least I could do.”

  “I’m sorry to hear about you and your husband,” said Barney, as I released Jordan’s hand. “But I have to say, it’s nice meeting one of Jim’s family members. He’s so quiet about his personal life. Sometimes I wonder if he’s a Martian from Outer-space, sent here to spy on all of us.”

  I laughed. “Oh, he’s always been like that. Doesn’t like to share anything. Hell, sometimes I wonder if he’s an alien myself.”

  Barney chuckled.

  Jordan yawned. “If I am then you’re both in trouble, once we get into the sky. Especially now that you’ve blown my cover.”