CHAPTER 10
1786 Words
RYDER
“What's this s**t I'm hearing about some black-haired chick looking for you?” Gladdie asked the second I walked into the clubhouse bar.
The place was packed as usual. Music blasted from the speakers, beer flowed freely, and sweet butts lingered around the tables looking for attention. A few of them spotted me the moment I stepped inside, throwing flirty smiles my way and swaying their hips like they were putting on a damn show.
I ignored every single one of them.
Making my way across the room, I dropped onto one of the worn leather sofas. A sweet butt immediately tried to slide in beside me.
One look from me was enough.
She froze halfway down, swallowed hard, and quickly found somewhere else to sit.
“What black-haired chick?” I asked, stretching an arm across the back of the sofa.
Gladdie snorted. “A woman came by earlier asking for you.”
My jaw tightened slightly.
Of course she did.
“What'd she want?”
“She was saying some crazy shit.” Gladdie grabbed her beer and took a sip. “Claimed you're her fiancé. Said you'd run away from home and she came all this way to drag your ass back.”
A few brothers nearby burst out laughing.
I wasn't laughing.
The woman had been showing up all over town lately, asking questions, sticking her nose where it didn't belong, and generally making herself a problem.
“I swear that b***h lost somebody and can't let it go,” Logan said from the opposite end of the sofa. “She probably saw a picture of you and convinced herself you're some dead fiancé of hers. Now she's running around chasing the first bastard who looks remotely similar.”
The room chuckled again.
“Girl's got screws loose,” Logan continued. “And she better get her head straight before she gets herself hurt. Walking into biker territory claiming she's your old lady when she ain't wearing your property patch, your cut, or anything tying her to this club? That's a damn good way to start trouble.”
“Or end up in a body bag,” someone muttered from across the room.
The clubhouse door swung open before anyone could say more.
Kane walked in.
Two sweet butts were hanging off him, one on each arm. Neither seemed interested in letting go anytime soon.
Kane glanced around the room. “The hell are you idiots talking about now?”
Logan immediately grinned. “Oh, we're talking about Stairway Girl.”
Kane raised an eyebrow. “Who?”
“The crazy chick,” Logan said, laughing harder. “The one who nearly bulldozed Ryder in the rain.”
A few brothers snickered.
“Damn near knocked him on his ass,” Logan added.
“You mean the curvy black-haired chick?” Kane asked with a snicker as he walked into the room. “Looks like she's about to get blamed for Yanny's death.”
That got my attention fast.
My head snapped in his direction. “What the hell did you just say?”
Kane dropped onto the sofa, the two sweet butts hanging around him immediately claimed the seats on either side, reaching for his belt.
“I heard she stopped by looking for Hampson,” he said with a shrug. “Apparently she got into his office, found the body, got blood on herself, and now the cops have her at the top of their suspect list.”
A frown pulled at my brows. “They think she killed her?”
Kane nodded. “Sounds like she was in the wrong place at the wrong damn time.” He shook his head. “Girl's got terrible luck.”
I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees. “Call Pine.”
Kane didn't react.
“Kane,” I growled, my patience running thin. “Call. f*****g. Pine.”
The sharpness in my voice made several heads turn.
Kane sighed heavily and looked at me.
For a few seconds, he simply stared. “And what exactly am I supposed to tell him?”
“To get her out of there.”
His eyebrows shot up. “You can't be serious.”
Every conversation in the room died instantly.
No one spoke.
No one moved.
In this club, there were lines you didn't cross, and questioning the President's order in front of other members was one of them.
Even Logan knew it.
Slowly, he uncrossed his legs and leaned forward, his cold gaze sweeping over the sweet butts lingering around the booth.
“Aren't you girls supposed to be somewhere else?!” he snapped.
The women immediately scrambled to their feet without a single complaint, and hurried away from the booth.
Now it was just the three of us.
Me.
Kane.
Logan.
Logan turned his glare on Kane.
“Are you planning to get on your damn knees and apologize, or do I need to remind you who you're talking to?”
Kane's eyes narrowed.
“I outrank you, Logan,” he shot back. “Watch how you speak to me.”
“You should've thought about rank before mouthing off to the President in front of the club.”
The two men locked eyes.
Neither willing to back down.
Neither blinking.
Finally, Kane looked away first.
His shoulders rose and fell with a heavy breath, then he stood from the sofa.
Without another word, he stepped forward and dropped to one knee.
“I apologize,” he said. “I spoke out of line.”
I stared down at him.
Had it been anyone else, the punishment would've been a lot worse.
A prospect or patched member would've been dragged through hell for a stunt like that.
But Kane wasn't just anyone, he is one of my officers but that didn’t mean he was above the rules either.
“I don't care if you're angry,” I growled. “I don't care if you think I'm making the wrong call.”
Kane kept his eyes on the floor.
“But you do not challenge me like that in front of the club. Not in front of my members. Not if you expect this club to keep functioning.”
His jaw tightened. “I understand.”
“Pull that stunt again, and I don't care if you've been my best friend since we were kids, you'll be taking that rope ride through town with everyone else.”
Kane's jaw tightened.
“This club survives because of its rules,” I continued. “The day we start picking and choosing which ones apply to us is the day everything falls apart. Every brother follows them. Including you. Including me.”
Kane held my gaze for a few seconds before giving a single nod.
“It won't happen again.”
“See that it doesn't.”
The matter settled, I leaned back and pointed toward the phone lying on the table.
“Call Pine. Tell him I want him digging into Yanny's murder. If the black-haired woman didn't do it, I want proof before the cops decide she's an easy target.”
Kane looked like he wanted to argue again.
Thankfully, common sense won.
He grabbed the phone and dialed.
The call was short.
Mostly because Kane sounded annoyed the entire time.
“Ryder wants you looking into Yanny's case,” he grunted. “Find anything that clears the black-haired woman. Call us the second you get something.”
A few moments later, he ended the call and tossed the phone onto the table.
Leaning back into the sofa, he crossed one boot over the opposite knee.
“I still think she's going to be trouble.”
“She's not trouble,” I said. “She's just obsessed with finding answers and refuses to let things go.”
Personally, I wasn't worried about her.
Annoyed?
Sure.
Concerned?
Not even close.
Kane studied me for a moment, his expression darkening. “She saw it.”
My eyes narrowed. “Saw what?”
“The blood.”
Kane rubbed a hand over the back of his neck.
“The stain on my sleeve. I know she saw it.”
A curse nearly left my mouth.
“How sure are you?”
“Certain.”
The confidence in his voice made my stomach tighten.
“She looked right at it,” he continued. “Didn't say anything, but I caught the look on her face. She noticed.”
Logan groaned from across the booth.
“Are you kidding me?”
“I wish I was.”
Kane leaned forward.
“If she tells the cops she saw blood on one of our guys, things could get messy real damn fast.”
I dragged a hand down my face.
“That's exactly why I told you to get rid of that damn shirt.”
Logan pointed at him.
“No. Forget the shirt. I warned you the second I saw that stain. You should've burned the thing.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Kane muttered.
“Don't 'yeah, yeah' me,” Logan snapped. “You've got the survival instincts of a drunk prospect.”
Kane flipped him off.
Logan returned the gesture.
I ignored both of them, trying to figure out whether the black-haired woman had actually connected the dots or if we were worrying over nothing.
The problem was, she didn't strike me as stupid.
Not even close.
And if she really had seen that blood...
Then this situation had just become a whole lot more complicated.
“f**k,” I muttered, pushing to my feet.
Both men looked at me as I eaded toward the clubhouse door.
“Where are you going?” Logan called after me.
I shoved my hands into my cut and kept walking.
“I need a smoke.”
“What are you going to do about the information I just gave you?!” Kane shouted. “It might not be a problem now, but it will be later!”
“Go wait for her,” I barked over my shoulder. “Pick her up the moment she’s released.”
Then Kane shot back, louder.
“You want me to pick her up?!” he repeated like I’d lost my mind. “You think I won’t end up burying her in the dirt instead?”
That made me stop.
Slowly, I turned my head, mystare locked onto him.
“I was talking to Logan,” I said flatly.
Logan raised both hands like he wanted no part of the argument.
Kane opened his mouth again.
I didn’t give him the chance.
“And stop getting on my f*****g nerves, Kane.”
- Writer
