Breaking The Biker (The Biker Series) - An MC Gold Vipers Motorcycle Club Biker Romance Novel Page 3

“Is everything okay?”

  “Oh, yeah. Nothing to concern yourself with, Rainy. It’s all good.”

  I smiled at his nickname for me. Rainy. It had been a while since I’d heard it. “Where are you?”

  “Just on a road-trip with a couple of brothers. I’ll give you a call later tonight.”

  “Okay. Drive safely and stay out of trouble.”

  “Thanks, and right back at you.”

  I hung up and ran into Sal, who was coming out of his office.

  “There she is,” he said with a twinkle in his eyes. He was dressed in his usual attire – a white collared shirt, the sleeves pushed to his elbows, and black trousers. As usual, his comb-over was glossy from the amount of hairspray he used, and his stomach looked like he’d give birth any day now. Unfortunately, Sal was an alcoholic and by nine o’clock in the evening, the man was usually passed out on the sofa in his office.

  “Hi, Sal,” I said, noticing how pasty his skin looked. “You feel okay?”

  “Oh, I’m fine.”

  “You look a little peaked. You’re not running a temperature or anything, are you?” I asked, putting my hand to his forehead.

  “I told you I’m fine,” he said, shooing my hand away.

  “Okay,” I said, frowning. “You really should take better care of yourself, you know. Have you been drinking those bottled smoothies still?”

  He rolled his eyes. “When I get a chance. They’re damn expensive, though.”

  “That’s because they’re good for you. You can’t put a price on your health, you know,” I answered. I knew they were pricey, but he was single and could afford it.

  “You can when you’ve got a lot of bills to pay,” he muttered. “Anyway, Nurse Betty, do me a favor and stop by my office on your way to the front. I have some things to discuss with you.”

  This was a first. He normally didn’t bring anyone back there. It was where he escaped to drink privately. I stared hard at his face and noticed that he was completely sober. This was also a first. “Sure. What’s it about?”

  “Just some business stuff.”

  “Is it about me being late? I won’t let it happen again.”

  “No. I’m not angry about that. This is something else.”

  “Okay. I’ll be in in a minute.” I frowned. “What about Marie? She’s going to be pissed if I don’t get out there.”

  “Don’t worry about it. I already told Marie we were going to have a discussion when you got here. Her shift isn’t over for another twenty minutes, so as far as I’m concerned, she doesn’t have anything to complain about.”

  “Okay.”

  He turned around and walked back into his office.

  Curious as to what he wanted to talk to me about, I hurried into the back where the lockers were, locked my purse up, and headed to Sal’s office.

  “Okay,” I said, sitting down. “What’s up?”

  Sal, who was sitting behind his desk, put his hands out in front of him. They were shaking and much worse than usual.

  “Jesus,” I said, staring at them. “Have you gotten this checked out yet?”

  He put them down. “As a matter of fact, I did. This morning I went and seen my physician.”

  I stared at him in disbelief. I’d been harping on him for months to go see a doctor and he’d been giving me crap about it. “What did they say?”

  He reached into his desk and pulled out a bottle of vodka. “They took some tests but you and I both know what it’s all about. I’ve been lying to myself for too long, Raina, and the shit is finally catching up to me.”

  “It’s your liver,” I said, matter-of-factly.

  He removed the cap and took a swig of the bottle. “Yep,” he said, wiping his mouth. “That’s what they think. I’ve known it for a while. Probably going to need a new one, but the hell if I’m going to get in line for one.”

  Frustrated, I grabbed the bottle, before he could take another drink. “If it’s your liver, then why are you still drinking?”

  “Why shouldn’t I? I’ve got nothing else to live for,” he said evenly.

  I sat up straighter, shocked at his attitude. “What in the hell are you talking about? You’ve got me and Cole,” I said angrily. “You also have this bar and all of your customers and friends. They come here because of you and what you’ve created. You can’t give up, Sal. I won’t let you.”

  He just stared at me.

  Upset, I went on. “Are you even hearing what I’m saying? You’re only fifty-five and that’s too young to throw your life away.”

  Finally, he spoke up. “How old are you, Raina? Twenty-five next month, right?”

  “Yes, but –”

  “You’ve given up and you’re still a young woman with everything ahead of you. Hell, if you don’t think life is worth living, then I may as well keep drinking,” he said, reaching below his desk again. This time, he pulled out a bottle of spiced rum.

  “Stop it,” I snapped, trying to grab the other bottle. “This isn’t funny.”

  “Do you see me smiling?”

  I knew what he was doing. “If you’re trying to make a point, I get it, okay? But, it’s different. I lost my little boy. He’s dead. So is my husband,” I said, trying to fight the tears. “It’s so damn hard…”

  “I know what hard is. I lost my wife Carol to cancer before you were born. Loved that woman. She was everything to me. I also lost my sister, your mother. If I would have given up though, Raina, you and your brother would have ended up in foster care somewhere.”

  “I’m not dying, Sal,” I argued. I just didn’t care about living anymore.

  “Bullshit. You may not be dying, but you certainly aren’t living. I can see it in your eyes, Raina.”

  “What do you expect me to do, Sal?” I argued. “It’s not like I can go and get my son replaced like a damn liver.” I knew that it was cruel, but I was angrier than hell. “He’s gone. I don’t have another chance at getting him back.”

  “Maybe not, but you have a chance to make a difference in somebody else’s life, Raina. Just like I did for you and Cole. It may not be today or tomorrow, but you will. Believe me.”

  “If we made so much of a difference, then why have you carried on drinking all of these years when you knew what it was doing to you?”

  “Because I lied to myself, sweetheart, and I guess that I didn’t think it would ever get this bad. Now I can’t even go a few hours without needing a shot of something.”

  “Can’t you get medical treatment?” I asked, so frightened of losing him, too.

  “I could, although I don’t know if it’s worth it,” he replied. “Once they get the test results back, I know what they’re going to say.”

  I stared at his skin, really noticing the yellowish tinge for the first time. “It’s worth it. You have to hang in there, and for God’s sake,” I leaned over his desk and snatched away the bottle. “Stop drinking!”

  “It’s not easy. Lord knows I tried a couple of times these last few months, and the withdrawals are horrible. But,” he looked me square in the eye, “I’m willing to get help if you’re willing to do it, too.”

  I grunted. “Who in the hell can help me get my son back?”

  “Nobody, but someone can help you learn to live without him,” he answered. “I’m talking about counseling.”

  “I don’t want to live without him,” I said, my voice breaking.

  He grabbed my hand and squeezed. “Part of him will always be with you,” said Sal. “But you need to learn how to move on. You need to see a grief counselor.”

  I turned my face away and brushed at the tears. “So, if I agree to talk to someone, you’ll agree to get treatment for your liver?”

  He nodded.

  “Okay,” I replied, willing to do anything to help Sal. I could even just pretend to go, I thought. “I’ll check around and make an appointment. You, on the other hand, can’t wait.”

  “I know. My doctor is waiting for me to call him back so he can refe
r me to a treatment center. I wanted to talk to you first.”

  “Treatment center. That’s good. You’re going to go through with it, though, right?”

  “I will. As long as you agree to talk to someone, too. In fact,” Sal reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. He opened it up and pulled out a business card. “You can call this woman, Janene Bakerson.”

  I stared down at the card. So much for pretending. “So, she specializes in grief therapy, huh?”

  He nodded.

  “I don’t know what good it’s going to do,” I mumbled. “But, if it’s the only way you’re willing to get treatment, I’ll do it.”

  He looked relieved. “Thank you, sweetheart.”

  I put the card in my back pocket and stood up. “Make that call to your doctor, Sal. I want to know that you’re serious about this.”

  “I’m serious, which brings me to another reason why I need to talk to you. Sit back down.”

  Sighing, I did.

  “When I’m gone, I’m going to need you to take over the bar.”

  “Me? What about Lana?” Lana was his manager.

  “She’s not family. I need you to run the place. She’ll still be your manager, if you want her.”

  “Lana is not going to be happy. Why don’t you just let her run the place until you get back? I don’t want to get everyone here pissed off.” Plus, the thought of taking on so much at once sounded exhausting.

  “I’m not coming back,” he said, smiling grimly. “I’m an alcoholic. I can’t surround myself with booze if I have any kind of a chance at succeeding.”

  “Oh, hell,” I groaned. “I can’t run this place, Sal. I don’t have what it takes to do something like this.”

  He scowled at me. “Bullshit. You have what it takes. I believe in you and that’s why I’m offering.”

  The only thing I believed in at the moment was that there wasn’t much left in the world to believe in. But I didn’t want Sal to die. He may have been a weak man when it came to alcohol, but he was a good man.

  “What about Cole? Why don’t you see if he can help out?” The suggestion sounded ridiculous, even to me. He was too involved with the Devil’s Rangers.

  “Bring him in to help if you want. But, you know as well as I do, that his priorities are all messed up. Honestly, you’re the only person I trust running the bar. You know what I always say – ‘there is nothing like family’. Nothing. We need stick together.”

  “I hear you… but Sal, I don’t know diddly-squat about running a place like this,” I said, my knee bouncing a mile a minute from nerves. Not only that, I didn’t know if I could handle the pressure at the moment.

  “What are you talking about? You practically grew up here. Hell, I remember when you were a teenager, you helped with the books and even gave me suggestions when I hired some of the staff. As far as I’m concerned, you know more than anyone else, even Lana. Hell, I would have made you manager a long time ago, but you were needed at home.”

  For Billy…

  “We need each other,” he said, as if reading my mind. “Please, Raina.”

  I looked up. “You know I’d do anything for you, Sal. If this is what you want, I’ll do my best.”

  His eyes widened in surprise. “Really?”

  I leaned forward and gave him the stink-eye. “As long as you get your ass into treatment; I’ll do whatever you want me to do.”

  Smiling, he patted my hand. “That’s my girl. We’ll talk more about it later this evening. When Matt comes in.”

  Matt was one of the newer bartenders.

  “Okay. Just let me know if you need a ride to the clinic when the time comes,” I said, standing up.

  “I’d like that,” he replied, his eyes getting watery.

  Feeling a little choked up myself again, I picked up the two bottles of booze and headed toward the door.

  “By the way, tell Marie to stop back here. I’m going to tell her the news.”

  I turned around and smiled. Even though I’d love to see the expression on her face, I didn’t want to be there when he told her. She was going to flip out. “Okay.”

  Knowing the animosity between us, he smiled. “This is your place now, honey. You can fire and hire whoever you want. Just make sure it makes sense, of course.”

  “You sure you about that?” I asked.

  He placed a hand on his stomach. “You’re the one who has to work with them. Anyway, I’d expect the co-owner of the bar to have a say in who works here and who doesn’t.”

  I stared at him in surprise. “Co-owner? I thought you just wanted me to run the place.”

  “You know that when I’m gone, the bar will be yours and Cole’s, anyway. Fifty-fifty.”

  I hadn’t really thought about that.

  “So, you may as well get your hands dirty now. See if it’s something you want to keep going. When I’m gone, you two can keep this bar or sell it. Having you run the place now will give you a taste of what you might be giving up if you sold it, though.”

  “Let’s not talk about that,” I said. “If you get your ass in treatment, you could be around for another thirty or forty years.”

  “Oh hell,” he said, waving his hand. “I don’t want to live that long.”

  “Sal, you were the one who was just going on about life having a purpose…”

  “I know. That doesn’t mean I want to live to be eighty years old,” he said, pulling out a cigar from the humidor sitting on his desk.

  My eyes widened.

  He sniffed it. “What? If I’m going to be sober for the rest of my life, I’m smoking this last Cuban.”

  Shaking my head and smiling, I turned around and left his office.

  Chapter 5

  Raptor and Hoss called me a few hours later to give me an update on Cole Johnson. They’d left their cuts behind and had taken a cage out to Davenport to avoid being spotted by the Devil’s Rangers.

  “We haven’t been able to locate him, but he has a sister who works over at Sal’s.”

  “The bar here in Jensen?” I asked, surprised. It was a shit-hole, from what I’d remembered. “Isn’t that the place Mavis used to hang out?”

  “Yeah,” muttered Raptor. “That’s the place.”

  “So, where’s Cole? Anyone know?”

  “No. We found the location of their clubhouse and hung around the area for a while. We even followed two of their club bitches to a bar up the street and bought them a couple of drinks. Told them we were interested in becoming prospects for the Devil’s Rangers. Said we knew Cole.”

  “They believe you?”

  “Hell yeah. That’s how we found out about his sister. Apparently, Cole is on the road at the moment and won’t be back for a few days.”

  I sighed. “Okay. Did you find an address to where he lives?”

  “No. Just got intel on the sister. Her name is Raina Davis”

  “Raina Davis, huh?” I replied. “The name sounds familiar. Did she ever come to one of our parties?”

  “Not that I’m aware of,” said Raptor.

  “I’ve heard the name before. It’s not that common. I just don’t know where,” I replied, racking my brain to come up with something. I wondered if I’d banged the chick in the past, and that’s why she sounded familiar.

  “You want us to check out Sal’s?” he asked.

  “No. I’ll take care of it myself.” I needed to see Raina Davis for myself. See if she jogged any memories.

  “You sure you want to do that?”

  I frowned. “What do you mean, am I sure?”

  Raptor sighed. “You’re pissed off, for good reason, but this needs to be handled carefully. You don’t want to frighten her. She’ll alert her brother.”

  I closed my eyes and rubbed the bridge of my nose. “I’m going to play it cool. I’m not an idiot.”

  “I realize that, but you have a personal vendetta, just like I did with Adriana, and we both know that I was a raging bull.”

  “I hea
r you, brother. Don’t worry; I’m just going to feel her out. See if she’ll open up to me about Cole. I’ll put on the old Tank charm and have her eating out of my hand.” And hell, maybe off of my dick, too. The thought of making Cole Johnson’s sister get down on her knees was giving me wood and I had yet to meet the bitch.

  “Good. Take that route. I’m thinking that if she works at a dive like Sal’s, chances are the girl is butt-ugly and will welcome a little flirting.”

  “When I’m done with her, I’ll know her entire family history, her social security number, and whether or not she likes it up the ass.”

  Raptor chuckled. “I have no doubt, brother.”

  “Seriously, though, she might even have information on the shooter. Hell, maybe she is the shooter. Did either of those gutter sluts mention whether or not Raina was mixed up with the club?”

  “It doesn’t sound like she wants any part of their club. They talked about her like she was a stuck-up bitch. One of them even called her a ‘cunt’.”

  “Interesting. Now I really need to see this cunt for myself. I’m going to head over to Sal’s now. I’ll call you.”

  “Sounds good. Hoss and I will head back to the clubhouse. Remember – this needs to be handled delicately.”

  Even now that I was club president, Raptor still didn’t trust me to keep my shit together.

  He knew me too well…

  “Hey, relax. I can be as delicate as a fucking flower when I need to be,” I said, smirking

  “Yeah. I know. Just like a Venus-fucking-flytrap. Just be careful, someone might recognize you at Sal’s.”

  “I won’t be wearing my cut.”

  “You’d better do more than that to change your appearance. I’m serious. You’re going to stick out like a sore thumb. The place is a shit-hole. Someone’s going to make you.”

  I sighed. “I hear you and don’t worry, I got it under control.”

  Chapter 6

  After Marie learned the news, I expected her to storm out of the bar, spitting bullets. Instead, she surprised the hell out of me.

  “Congratulations on your new position,” she said on her way out. “I heard the news.”

  I forced a smile. “Thanks,” I said, realizing that she was probably worried about losing her job.