Chapter 6

CHAPTER

SIX

PIKE

Pulling back to the front of the house, I turned off the bike and let the silence envelope the street. I wondered if I had been too rough with her or if I had crossed the line. Women like Natasha needed feelings and pretty words. I wasn't sure if I knew any of them or if I had any of those in me to give. God knew that I hadn't been given any in my life.

She braced on my shoulder as she slid off and unbuckled the borrowed helmet. Mentally, I made a note to buy her one in case she wanted to ride with me again. I had liked the feel of her pressed against me as we rode in the darkness. Usually, I wanted to ride alone, but Natasha didn't press me about stopping or tried to talk in my ear. She added to my peace.

"Did you want to see the footage from the security cameras that Ronnie was able to catch?" Natasha asked as she undid her ponytail, shaking her hair upside down and rubbing her scalp. "I can text her to meet us on the back patio," she offered.

"Ok." I lowered the kickstand and followed her around the back of the house, giving the finger to the security camera, knowing that Dimitri was watching like a fucking hawk. What she'd told me had buzzed around angrily in my brain. It had to be someone in the game — another MC looking for an angle to exploit unless it was some undercover fed or something, which was always possible in MCs like ours. Some kind of DEA agent looking to score a big case. We were careful, even more so now that we'd upped our game with the Iron Brotherhood. It was a worry, though, thinking that a fed was on my back. That was never a good thing.

Kicking back on one of the outdoor couches on the patio, I waited while Natasha went inside to get Ronnie. Leaning back, I closed my eyes for a second and breathed in. Well, this was some shit, I thought, looking around the yard. I'd come a long way to be hanging out on patios like this, waiting on a classy chick. If Eli could see me now, he'd be surprised at how far I'd come. Then, the unmistakable greasy slick of shame slid over me, thinking about the brother I didn't manage to save. I sat straight back up, uncomfortable.

"How was the ride?" Dimitri's voice sounded from the doorway. The asshole could move like a ninja even though he was jacked. Lethal too. I'd hate to be on his bad side. I shrugged as if I didn't care, but he nodded and came to sit in one of the chairs, passing me a beer.

"Good. Thanks, man."

"Sounds like your alibi is all squared and tight."

"Yeah, Natasha has it all handled." I took a swallow of the beer. Dimitri liked the imports, I'd noticed. This was some fancy German beer, but he had good taste, even though I hated to admit it. "Thanks again for bringing her to help. Not sure how it would have worked out without her in my corner." It was hard to accept help, but it was nice to know that Maddox and Dimitri were looking out for me.

"Of course, man. I'm glad to be able to do it. You'll be careful with Natasha." He'd leaned forward on his knees, setting his drink on the table, his face set.

"I will," I responded, looking him in the eyes when I made the promise.

The patio door clattered as Ronnie and Natasha came out onto the patio. Even though the sun had long sunk, the weather was still hot. Personally, I didn't mind the dry heat of Arizona, even now, but I wondered what Natasha thought of it. Ronnie looked like she'd been sleeping, her eyes with blue shadows under them. I caught Dimitri eyeing her with concern. I didn't know much about her other than she had come along with Natasha, but she didn't seem as if she was the picture of health. I wondered if she was okay. She dutifully sat down, opened her laptop, and turned it to me.

"There, watch near the edges. By the car that's parked there," Ronnie said. "Should be at 6:17." She clicked forward in the video, and I saw myself in the diner paying the bill and exiting. Sure as shit, I left, and someone crept out of the shadows and followed. "Here's another angle. I've cobbled together frames from an ATM and a few security feeds, so they're grainy and don't catch everything."

The security footage at the Duck was pretty good. Maddox had been furious about the security there after Helena was taken a few months ago. Since then, he had made sure that the cameras are state-of-the-art. However, when I walked out of range, there weren't many options for good footage. Ronnie did a great job, though. Frame by frame, I saw myself getting on my bike and a mysterious figure following in a vehicle. They turned off at the Pit.

"Watch," Ronnie demanded. Captivated by the video, I leaned forward, my eyes glued to the screen. Ronnie had every angle possible pieced together. The quality might not have been the best, but it was clear enough to see someone tailing me. My gut churned with a mix of anger and unease. Who the hell was this? And what did they want? It wasn't clear enough for me to recognize them. They weren't wearing a cut, and despite the heat, they had a hoodie on.

Natasha sat beside me, grounding me in a way I didn't quite understand yet. She'd brushed her hair back out from that loose ponytail after the ride, and it hung in waves over her shoulders, brushing against the back of my hand. She glanced at me. "We need to figure out who that is."

I nodded, my mind racing. "Any chance you can enhance this further? Maybe get a better look at the car or the person?" I asked Ronnie. It didn't seem like it would be possible, but I figured I'd ask.

Ronnie shook her head, looking apologetic. "This is the best I could do with the footage available. But I have found this person following you in other locations." What the actual fuck? I watched as she shifted windows, and additional footage played of me and that same figure slinking around. Who was that?

"You've done a hell of a job," I said, appreciation lacing my tone. "I really appreciate that you've done all this." My eyes stayed glued to the screen, watching as the figure seemed to lurk in the shadows, always just out of clear view. It sent a chill down my spine, knowing someone was watching me so closely without me even knowing. "I had no idea someone was following me."

Natasha's hand brushed against mine, bringing me back to the moment. "Whatever this is," she ominously let that dangle for a minute. "We can handle it."

I nodded, catching Dimitri's glittering look. "Yeah, we can."

"We need to tighten security around here, too, just in case they sniff around here." He was thinking of Hollis and Olive. I suppose now Ronnie and Natasha, although I was pretty sure Natasha was capable. "Tiny will need to get back on protection duty." I chuckled even though Dimitri glared at me. For a while, Dimitri had one of the men from the Iron Brotherhood following his fiance around as a protective detail to ensure her safety. It was overkill, in my opinion (and hers), but Dimitri was an overkill guy. Literally.

"Maddox needs to be updated, too. Asshole," Dimitri grumbled. "You can't keep him out of the loop on this shit." Dimitri gestured wildly at the screen. I ignored him. I was an asshole. Who knew how I'd feel if I had a woman of my own? I kept my eyes from sliding to Natasha. She wasn't mine. I repeated to remind myself.

Ronnie scoffed, "As if security needs to be any tighter around here. That's a laugh. Natty and I are getting our own place. If we wanted to live in a prison, we'd be back home with Max." My eyes went wide at her spunk. I'd thought her a little quiet if I was honest.

"That hurts. Right here." Dimitri thumped his chest over his heart with a smirk.

Taking another swig of the fancy beer, I smiled at his antics. The bitterness of the beer matched the bitterness I felt at being targeted. "We need to find out who's behind this and why they're gunning for me. It's weird that they are following me around." I wondered if Natasha was planning on moving out of Dimitri's place. That indicated a permanence that I wasn't expecting. I wasn't sure it was a good move either. Dimitri's had the best security for them, especially if weirdos were around — like there obviously were.

"It is weird," Natasha said.

"It's interesting," Ronnie mumbled, running her fingers over the keyboard. It was obvious that she did find it interesting, occupying herself with the video. She ignored the rest of us as if we weren't there and went back to what she was doing.

The night air was warm, but it did nothing to soothe the cold knot of anxiety in my stomach. I glanced at Natasha, her face illuminated by the soft glow of the patio lights. She was tough, intelligent, and more than capable. But the thought of her being in danger because of me was almost too much to bear. What if this person was also watching her? That worried me for sure.

"Natasha," I began, unsure of how to continue. "Be careful, alright? I don't want you getting hurt because of me."

She looked at me, her eyes softening for a moment before hardening again, those grey eyes turning flinty. "I can take care of myself, Pike. But I appreciate your concern."

I grunted, not fully satisfied but knowing she was right. Natasha wasn't some damsel in distress.

Dimitri stood up, clapping me on the shoulder. "Get some rest, Pike. We'll regroup in the morning and figure out our next steps." It was a dismissal, and I took it as such, grunting out a goodnight to everyone.

?

The Pit was hoppin' when I strode in through the front. As I stepped through, a chorus of "Prez!" went up around the room. I lifted my chin in answer, accepted the back pats, and the eye-fucking from the women.

Typically, I spent most of my time between our warehouses and the road. Once a day, I made sure I came to the club to check how things were going. This was my time to handle business and give the guys a chance to see me or approach me if they wanted. I'd appear downstairs and then check that everything was as it should be. I wasn't much for the crowded floor and the party vibe. If necessary, I could fake it with the best of them if it were required. The club liked the booze, the music, and the chicks. The Cobras ran fast as a club, but we kept a tight check under my leadership. I had no intention of getting caught with my pants down.

This went double if some asswipe was following me with any hope or prayer that they could get some upper hand on us. My VP raised a hand, beckoning me to join him at the bar. Ed Cross had been my vice president now with the Cobras for the last few years. He had been clutch when I became president. I wouldn't have been able to make this whole thing work without him since he was more willing to be in the thick of the crowds than I was.

"Hey, Cross," I greeted as I approached the bar, the thumping bass and chatter of the Pit surrounding us. The Pit was a typical biker bar, rough around the edges, sticky floors, and loud. Somehow, I loved it even though the crowds made it difficult for me to tolerate on some nights.

Cross nodded, his sharp eyes scanning the room even as he raised his beer in a half-salute. He'd earned the VP spot with his hard work for the club and willingness to take on any task. When the time came, he'd make a great president.

"Pike," he replied. "Everything's good. Just took care of a couple of punks trying to get rowdy. Thought they'd stir up some shit, but they're out on their asses now."

I grunted in acknowledgment, leaning against the bar. "Good. The last thing we need is trouble in our own backyard." The bar could get rough, so I depended on Cross to keep them in check. Locals could dip in and mix it up, but we handled most of our shit in-house. The last thing we wanted was the Morinrock police here. Fuckers.

"Got that right," Cross said, swirling his beer in the bottle. "Heard anything more about the heat on you?"

"Alibi's solid," I said, glancing around to ensure no one was listening too closely. "My new lawyer confirmed it. But there's something else you need to know." A lot of what was going on recently was personal shit, and while we were here for each other, I didn't want to bog people down with my crap. If someone from another MC tried to pinch us, that would be a different story. We didn't hide that kind of thing.

Cross raised an eyebrow. "What's that?"

"Someone's been following me," I continued, my voice low. "My new lawyer, Natasha, had someone pull footage of me from the security cams near the Duck." There was no way I'd pull Ronnie's name into this shit show. I trusted Cross with my life, but my paranoia kept me from disclosing the whole story. Not to mention, it seemed as if the fact that Ronnie was Natasha's hacker was a secret. She hadn't come straight out and said so, but I'd gotten that feeling. Natasha's sister was delicate, too; I didn't want her secret to get out to too many people. "She showed me the footage. It's clear as day. I've got a tail, and I don't like it. They've shown up in a few other spots too." I rubbed a hand against the back of my neck, trying to ignore the tingling of anxiety that it caused—that thought of someone skulking around the shadows following me.

Cross's expression hardened, and his easygoing demeanor was replaced by the sharp focus that made him my right-hand man. "You think it's connected to the murders or something else? Business?"

"I guess it could be," I said. "Or it could be someone trying to get the upper hand on us."

"So, you have a proper lawyer? A lady lawyer," Cross said, amusement dancing in his eyes despite the seriousness of the situation. "Who'd have thought?" He tipped his beer toward me. "Not me."

"We aren't together," I retorted, though my voice lacked conviction. "She's helping. That's all." He rolled his eyes so dramatically that I had to laugh. Cross was an interesting guy. He used to be on Wall Street before he'd had some fallout with his ex and caught her cheating. It was hard to picture him being a straight-laced suit to a hard-ass biker, but we had all types that ended up here. The stories varied, and some even surprised me, like Cross's.

"Sure, sure," he said, his tone lightening slightly. "You know the boys are behind you, right? Whatever happens, we've got your back. What do you want to do about that? Can we up surveillance around the club? Maybe you should make sure you are rolling with someone. Change up your routines?"

I nodded, appreciating the sentiment. "Thanks, Cross. We just have to stay sharp. Those are all good ideas. Let's go ahead and set an extra guard on our shipments and give everyone a heads-up. I want to be sure we aren't missing something important. I wondered if it was possible it was an undercover Fed. That's what I am really worried about."

"We can set all that up for sure. I'd agree that having a Fed following around you would be a big problem," he paused momentarily and cleared his throat. "By the way, Liz was asking about you again. She'll be heartbroken if you keep avoiding her."

I chuckled, shaking my head. "I'll handle Liz." She was one of the regulars here at the Pit. I'd made a mistake fucking her last June, and she still couldn't take ‘no' for an answer. I'd been downright nice to her each time I'd declined her offers, but apparently, I'd have to be a little more direct. "Right now, I've got bigger fish to fry," I mumbled.

"Speaking of, you want to take a look at the books? Made a few adjustments based on last month's numbers. Could use your eye on them."

"Yeah, let's do that," I said, glad for the distraction. It was kind of him because I was sure he didn't need me to look at them. "Lead the way."

Cross pushed off the bar and led me towards the back, through the crowded floor, and into the quieter, dimly lit office. He pulled out the ledgers, and we settled into the familiar routine of reviewing the club's finances. It was a welcome reprieve from the chaos outside, a reminder that some things remained constant amidst the uncertainty.

As we worked, my mind drifted back to Natasha and the footage Ronnie had shown me. I couldn't shake the feeling that we were onto something, that the pieces were starting to come together. But until we had concrete answers, I could only keep my head above the water.

?

After a few hours on the books, I was ready for another round of drinks. Just as I stepped around the corner, Liz shuffled awkwardly from the restroom door as if it was just by chance that we arrived there at the same time.

"Hi there, Pike," she tugged her top down a little, making sure her cleavage was showing. If she did that anymore, her tits were going to be hanging out, not that it'd be uncharacteristic to see a nipple or two at the Pit, but Liz wasn't doing herself any favors right now. She was a good-looking woman, probably five years older than me, but I didn't care about that. She was curvy and had nice eyes. The thing about it was I liked her, but not enough to fuck twice. That wasn't something I usually did.

"Hi, Liz. How are you?"

"I'm good. I'm wondering how you are with everything that's been happening. Maybe you need someone to talk to?" Ah, interesting — but no. She'd be the last person I'd talk to. She was a hairdresser down on one of the main drags of Morinrock and quite a talker.

"Look, Liz. You're a nice person, and I appreciate you, but I'm seeing someone else."

"Oh," her face fell, and I felt like an ass, but this was going to do the trick. "Okay. Thanks for telling me." She slipped past me down the hall. Phew, finally, I felt like that'd be the end of Liz.

I was manhandling a keg onto a dolly in the back for our bartender when Cross poked his head around the corner. "Pike?" My head was down as I wrestled the key into place, tilting the dolly with my foot.

"Yeah?" The tone and the pause had me glancing up. Officer Macmillan and another officer stood in the doorway, frowning at me. They weren't a welcome surprise at all, and my guard instantly went up. "What the fuck do you ghouls want? This better be good."

Macmillan shuffled in the doorway, obviously uncomfortable. Finally, he said, "Do you have somewhere we could speak?" I thought about being an asshole but then thought better of it. It had never served me well to smart off to the police. In the end, I always ended up in cuffs. Granted, I had an actual lawyer on my side now, but I couldn't afford to let my ego get in the way.

"Sure, we can talk in my office… after I call my lawyer," I added pointedly. Just because I was willing to hear what they wanted didn't mean I was an idiot.