Wild Ride (Wind Dragons MC #4.5)(6)
“Your engine probably overheated,” I tell her as I survey it. “If you’ve waited here for half an hour, it should be cooling down now. I’ll check the coolant level.”
“What is it?” she asks, looking adorably confused.
I grin and check, making sure there’s no leak. To be honest, I only know the basics when it comes to cars, but it’s enough to help a beautiful woman when she’s stuck. I inspect the radiator hoses for loose clamps, but everything looks okay.
“There’s no leak, which is a good thing,” I tell her, before I try to start her engine. I listen to it, and everything sounds like it’s in running order, but then again, I’m not a professional. “It will be fine to get you wherever you need to go, but I think you should take it in, just to be on the safe side. If you like, I can give you a ride and get one of my men to pick up your car and drop it off to be serviced.”
I don’t know where this Mr. Nice Guy act is coming from, but for some reason I want to help her. I have a soft spot for her, even though I try to tell myself that I don’t.
“No, it’s okay,” she says, placing her hand on my arm. She’s still wearing that sexy-ass choker around her neck. “Thanks so much for getting it to start again though. I’m so lucky that you rode by.”
I can feel the warmth of her fingers through my T-shirt, and before I know what I’m doing, I lean into her. “You sure? It’s no problem for me.”
Luckily I had finished my work for the day, although I don’t know if you can call listening in on other people’s phone calls work. The things I do for Shayla. She’s in some trouble and it’s my job to keep her safe, no matter how bloody my hands get in the process. I’m even thinking about calling in my marker with Vinnie, one of the Wind Dragons who owes me a favor, to help keep her safe, but I’m not quite there yet.
I was planning on going back to the clubhouse and having a beer and a talk with my men, needing to get to the bottom of the shit going on there. If there’s one thing I don’t like in my clubhouse, it’s heavy drug use. Weed—fine. But anything else, especially if it involves a needle, is a big f*ckin’ no in my books, and it hasn’t passed my attention that a few of the men have been acting shady as f*ck, showing signs of using, so it looks like I need to set the drug boundaries out for them again. Sometimes I feel like a f*ckin’ parent.
“It’s okay, Talon,” she says, bringing me out of my thoughts. “I better get going or I’m going to be late getting Rhett.”
Right.
She actually is a parent.
“Give me your phone,” I tell her, holding out my hand.
“Why?” she asks, staring at my outstretched hand.
“I’ll give you my number. Your car dies again, give me a call, and I’ll handle it for you.”
She hesitates but then hands me her phone. I put my number in, hit SAVE, then hand it back to her.
“You play knight in shining armor for all women?” she teases, lips kicking up at the corners.
“Nope,” I reply with full honesty, then add, “just the beautiful ones.”
Amusement lingers in her gaze. A kiss on my cheek, then she gets into her car. “Thanks again, Talon!”
“No problem,” I mutter, watching as she drives away.
I’ve been trying to stay away from Tia, and I’ve been bullshitting myself when I say it’s because I don’t want to rock the boat with the WDMC. Sure, that is an issue, but it’s not the issue. Having a woman is a big f*ckin’ responsibility, especially in my world, and I don’t need a weakness. I don’t want to like her. I don’t want to give another person power over me, and she doesn’t need to be mixed up in my shit. By staying away, I’m protecting both her and me. Giving her my number wasn’t my best idea, but I can’t exactly have her stranded somewhere. She doesn’t want to ask the Wind Dragons for help, so maybe she won’t feel comfortable enough asking me either, but at least I gave her the option. I get back on my bike and ride to the clubhouse, trying to get the vision of her perky ass in those shorts out of my mind.
When I walk into the clubhouse and see the men sitting around with women draped over them, I decide to wait until later to call the club meeting. Let them have their fun . . . for now. I kind of want to gather more evidence before ripping them a new one, anyway.
“Hey, Prez,” Ranger calls out as he sees me entering. He gets me a beer and then hands it to me. “We’re celebrating tonight.”
“What the f*ck are we celebrating?” I ask, opening the ice-cold beer and taking a long draw.
Ranger looks toward the rest of the group, nodding his head toward Zip, one of the older men in our MC. “Zip is gonna be a father.”
The men cheer.
I don’t really think that’s a reason to celebrate, but I lift my beer in the air. “And who is the mother?”
Everyone breaks out into laughter, except that I’m being dead f*ckin’ serious. Zip f*cks anything with tits, and as far as I know he isn’t seeing anyone.
“Some chick who was here two months back,” Ranger answers me, shaking his head. “Carla, her name is.”
I’ve never even heard of a woman named Carla before. I know some of the women, the ones who come here whenever we throw a party. They stick around until someone loses interest, the men or them, whichever comes first. Some try to become old ladies, while others are just in it for a good time, getting their adrenaline rush or whatever. Who knows how women f*ckin’ think these days. Carla mustn’t have stuck around very long, or I’d at least have heard of her before.