Ride with the Wind [The Ghost Riders 1] Read online

  “We’ve talked about this. You like the lifestyle, and there’s still that asshole looking for you. You’re safer with the gang. Now you’ll be in the middle of the nest. You can’t get any safer than that.”

  Raven prayed he was right. Moving around was cool as far as that little business went, but she still thought she might be able to find a little town somewhere to settle down in and stay under the radar. If things didn’t work out with Dominic’s group, she would do that. She had enough money to set up housekeeping somewhere if she were careful. She could do it.

  “Not much longer. Looks like the rain is letting up, too.”

  “Hell of a way to make a first impression, Chaz. I’ll look like a wet cat.”

  He chuckled over the mic and revved the motor before shooting ahead of the others. He was obviously anxious to get there. No doubt he wanted to get back home and make up with Monica. She couldn’t help but wonder who she’d have to “make up” with tonight.

  Chapter Two

  Dominic walked out of the garage office at six thirty at the sound of bikes pulling into the lot. Reece walked up next to him from one of the bays where he’d been working.

  “Isn’t that Chaz? What’s he doing here?”

  “Called yesterday and asked if he could come talk about a favor he needed.”

  “Didn’t think to tell me about it?”

  “Figured it wasn’t anything major and you’d be here when he got here anyway.”

  Reece frowned but didn’t say anything.

  Chaz and his riders stopped about twenty-five yards out from the building and climbed off their bikes. Someone got off behind Chaz. Dominic figured it was his old lady, Monica. When the helmet came off, he knew better. Monica didn’t have long black hair. What the fuck was going on? Chaz loved his old lady.

  “Shit. Something’s wrong. That ain’t Monica.” Reece pulled his hands out of his pockets.

  Dominic waited while the group walked up. When they stopped a few feet away, Dominic nodded at him.

  “Chaz. How was the ride in?”

  “Wet, but uneventful.”

  “Come in and dry off. We can talk over a beer.”

  Dominic turned and walked toward the building, knowing Reece and the rest of the gang had his back. Not that he didn’t trust Chaz and his guys, but he didn’t know the woman. Somehow he had a feeling this involved her.

  They settled around the bar in the den, and Irish handed out cold beer. They talked about business and the general state of the nation for a while before Dominic brought up his reason for the visit.

  “What did you want to talk about, Chaz?”

  “What I’d like to talk to you about is sensitive in nature.” Chaz looked Dominic straight in the eyes.

  Dominic looked over at Reece, who was staring at the female across the room. She still had on her backpack. Her long black hair accented her pale skin and the way she curved in all the right places. He could tell that she had dark eyes, though exactly what color they were was still a mystery. Her generous breasts and rounded ass had his attention as well.

  “Reece?”

  “Yeah.”

  Dominic led the way to their sanctuary, where they did club business. Reece closed and locked the door behind them. Then he sat down on Dominic’s left. Chaz took the chair to the right and slowly sank into it. He looked miserable. Fuck. This couldn’t be good.

  “What’s going on, Chaz?”

  “This is more personal than anything. That’s why I didn’t want to talk about it out there.”

  “Does it involve the woman you had riding in with you?” Reece asked.

  “Yeah.”

  “Fuck, Chaz. I thought you loved Monica. Is this bitch pregnant?” Reece leaned back in the chair.

  “No! It’s nothing like that. Well, something like that. Ah, hell.” Chaz rubbed his hands over his face.

  “Back off, Reece. What is it, Chaz?” Dominic crossed his arms on the table.

  “Her name is Raven. She needs a temporary home. She was staying with us, but Monica thinks we’re doing the dirty and wants her gone. The thing is, they used to be best friends, and someone is poisoning Monica’s head with shit lately. I’ve got to get to the bottom of it, but I need to know that Raven will be safe.”

  “Who is Raven to you?” Dominic asked.

  “A friend. She was Monica’s best friend. The thing is, she saved my life about three years ago, and I promised to keep her safe from then on.”

  “How did she save your life?” Reece leaned forward now.

  “We were at a bar outside of Stillwater after a ride, and things got a little out of hand. Guy came at me from behind with a knife, and she stopped him. He beat the hell out of her before I knew what was going on to stop him. One of my guys saw it all but couldn’t get across the room to stop it.”

  “So you promised her what?” Reece asked, cocking his head.

  “She’s on the run from an ex that wants her out of the picture, permanently. She cramps his style, and he doesn’t want her to suddenly show up and cause problems.”

  “So take care of this ex and she’s free to go wherever.” Reece shrugged.

  Dominic figured it must be deeper than just a disgruntled ex. Chaz was good about handling things in his territory.

  “It’s not that simple. He’s high profile.” Chaz drew in a deep breath and steepled his fingers on the table. “He’d never think to look for her with a biker gang. She isn’t from the streets. We just keep our ears to the ground, and she stays quiet.”

  “So you’re wanting us to take her while you straighten shit out with your old lady.” Dominic looked over at Reece. “What do you think?”

  “Who is the ex?”

  Chaz winced. “Michael Teller.”

  “Family Values Michael Teller?” Reece grinned from ear to ear. “I guess her running with a biker gang would sort of hurt his reputation.”

  “What happened to begin with? She was obviously hiding from him before she hooked up with you.” Dominic could tell there was more to the story.

  “They were engaged to be married until she found out that he was more interested in young boys than her. Seeing as he’s the head spokesman for Family Values, it wouldn’t look good if that got out. Not to mention that it’s illegal and just plain wrong to mess with kids.”

  Reece whistled.

  “So he’s hoping to make her go away.” Dominic nodded.

  “Yep. She pretty much burned those bridges.”

  “Convincing him to leave her be wouldn’t be an option then.” Reece shook his head.

  “You said temporary. You’re planning to smooth things out with Monica and take her back?”

  “That’s the plan. I made a promise to her, and I mean to keep it. I don’t foist off my promises onto someone else’s shoulders.” Chaz frowned.

  Dominic leaned back again and thought about it. She was a beautiful woman from what he could tell. Reece had seemed to be interested in her. He hadn’t really shown much of an interest in anyone in a long time. Maybe it would be a good thing for them. He looked over at Reece. The other man nodded his head.

  “Okay, we’ll take her temporarily.”

  “She stays until she wants to go back,” Reece interrupted.

  Dominic jerked his head toward his second. There was something in the other man’s eyes that made him think before he told him to back off.

  “I agree with Reece. You’re uprooting her, and she’s already on the run. If she comes here, she stays until she wants to go.”

  “Fuck!”

  “Take it or leave it,” Dominic said and watched the emotions play across the other man’s face.

  It was obvious that he cared about Raven and wanted the best for her. It was also apparent that he loved his wife. Getting stuck between the two had to be pure hell. This would also be about trust. Did they have Chaz’s trust and loyalty in the gang? He was seven hours away and one of their closest chapters. If they needed them, they were supposed to come.
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  “There’s one other thing you need to know about her before you accept her then.”

  “What is that?” Reece asked.

  “She writes books. She uses another name, so no one knows but a few of us in the gang. It brings in some money.”

  Dominic nodded, a smile growing on his face. Bingo, that was where most of the emotion came from. She was a source of money for the gang. Losing her temporarily would be tough, but permanently would create an income loss.

  “Tell you what. We’ll send you some business now and then to make up for your loss. Offer stands.”

  Chaz hesitated but nodded in the end.

  “Goes without saying that she’s taken care of.”

  “Goes without saying.” Dominic stood up.

  Reece followed suit, and then Chaz did. They all shook hands. He looked equal parts relieved and disgusted at the same time. Dominic could guess why. He was getting rid of a multilayer problem on one hand but losing a source of money on the other. Still, despite it all, Chaz honestly seemed to care about her on some level. They needed to be prepared that she might decide to return to Chaz’s once he had everything worked out with his old lady.

  They returned to the den, where things were getting a little more laid back. Chaz’s guys hung over the bar drinking beer with babes on either side of them offering some Texas hospitality. When Dominic walked out and nodded his head, his men relaxed and joined in the fun. Everything was fine.

  Or not. He turned and found Reece making a beeline for Raven. Shit. The bastard could screw things up if he wasn’t careful. Dominic set down his beer and followed him.

  “Name’s Reece, Raven. Sounds like you’re going to be with us now.”

  “Reece.” Dominic clapped his best friend on the shoulder. “Going to introduce us?”

  “Raven, this is the president. I’m VP. Dominic, meet Raven. She was just about to tell me a little bit about herself.”

  “I was?” She stared hard at him before shrugging. “I’m twenty-nine, single, no children, and my favorite color is green.”

  “What’s your favorite position?” Reece grinned.

  “Depends on the size and shape of the dick.”

  “Long and thick.”

  Dominic bit back a grin and crossed his arms to watch the show. She wasn’t a naïve little socialite that needed protecting after all. He couldn’t help feeling attracted to her. Not only was she sexy as hell, but she had fire, and he loved a sassy woman.

  She looked Reece up and down and then turned to him.

  “Is he talking about you or someone else?”

  Dominic chuckled and shook his head. “Baby, that’s Reece all over.”

  He couldn’t get over how in a matter of a few minutes, Raven had brought Reece back alive. His partner’s eyes flashed with excitement for the first time in a long time. Even if he hadn’t already been attracted to her, he would have fallen for her just because of the change in his buddy.

  Raven’s eyes held enough curiosity to feed his own arousal. She had been with Chaz’s gang long enough that she knew the score. He and Reece had first dibs on any woman brought into the club. The fact that neither of them would enforce that didn’t matter. If it was going to be an issue, Chaz would have mentioned it when they were negotiating.

  Reece crowded up next to Raven, pinning her against the wall. “Ever been the meat in a Ghost Rider sandwich?”

  “Sounds interesting, but I’ll pass.”

  “Welcome to the club, baby. You’re ours now. Let’s go get better acquainted.” Reece nodded at Dominic and grabbed her hand.

  Her mouth opened then closed before she looked over toward him. Dominic smiled and held out his hand to her. He watched as she weighed her options. Then she took his hand and they led her toward his room. He half expected her to drag her feet, but she didn’t.

  He would have slowed Reece down if he hadn’t seen the interest in Raven’s face. Barely veiled arousal glowed in her dark eyes. It was obvious that she was more than interested in what Reece had to offer.

  “Raven? Are you okay?” Chaz stepped in front of them.

  Reece took a step up, but Raven got between them.

  “I’m fine, Chaz. Leave the rest of my stuff here, okay?” She smiled at Chaz.

  Chaz nodded and stepped back. Dominic looked at him with a disapproving glare. The man had made his decision. He shouldn’t have tried to interfere.

  “You’re welcome for the night, Chaz. There should be a room for you. Check with Turk. In case I don’t see you in the morning, have a safe ride home—brother.”

  “Thanks, Dominic. I’m an ass. I know it.”

  Reece pulled on Raven, who pulled at him to continue through the den and down the hall to Dominic’s bedroom. Once they were behind closed doors, she rounded on them, nails drawn.

  “I’m not some biker bitch to be tossed around as anybody’s meat.”

  Reece grinned. “We’re not anybody, babe. You’re in our territory now.”

  Dominic smiled and sat on the bed to pull off his boots. He had no intentions of fucking her if she didn’t want them. He didn’t force anyone, and neither did Reece, but the boy loved to play. He wondered if they would get lucky or sleep with blue balls tonight. He dropped the boot on the floor with a thud. She jumped.

  “Look. This is only temporary. Chaz told you that, didn’t he?”

  “He told us. We only agreed if it was going to be permanent though.”

  She paled. Then she drew in a deep breath and crossed her arms.

  “Did he tell you that I bring money into the club?”

  “Yeah, said you were a writer of some kind. Thinking about buying a free pass?” Reece cocked his head.

  “Nothing is free, Reece. I’m not stupid.”

  Reece sobered up. “I never said you were. Look. This doesn’t have to happen. I was just seeing how far I could push you.” He spread his hands out by his sides. “We really just want to get to know you a little better since you’re going to be staying here.”

  She looked over at Dominic, who’d just finished pulling off his other boot. He dropped it to the floor, too. Then he scooted back in the bed to lean against the headboard. She looked back at Reece.

  “Okay, what do you want to know? There really isn’t much to tell, and I’m sure you know all about Teller. Chaz wouldn’t have dumped me on you without letting you know the details.”

  “You and Chaz have a thing going?” Dominic asked.

  “No! I would never do that to Monica. We were best friends. Besides, Chaz isn’t even on my radar.”

  “Take off your pack and get comfortable. We’re not going to bite.” Dominic flashed a warning look at Reece.

  If he knew Reece, he would keep pushing her. While it was good to have the old Reece back, he didn’t want to start this relationship off on the wrong foot. Not only did she bring potential revenue to the club, but she was different. She managed to arouse more than his cock in just a few minutes when it sometimes took more than a kiss to pique his interest nowadays.

  He watched as she carefully removed the backpack and set it on the floor near the door. She crossed her arms and waited. He patted the bed next to him and watched as she fought with herself on whether to take his offer or ignore it. She took it and walked over to the bed. When she sat down to take off her boots, Reece surprised them both by kneeling in front of her and taking them off for her.

  “So, what kind of writer are you, Raven?” He looked down at Reece. “Come on and get comfortable.”

  Reece grinned and climbed up on the bed. He leaned back on his elbows and waited for her to answer.

  “I write erotic romance. You know. Sex sells.”

  “That it does. One of our branches in California runs a movie company. It’s very lucrative.”

  “I doubt I can compete with vids, but I do okay. I contribute my twenty percent to the club, and it helps.”

  “Sounds good. So what sort of sex do you sell?”

  “I mostly
write ménage because that’s popular. I do a little BDSM. I’m branching out some to mix in paranormal.”

  “Paranormal? Like ghosts?” Reece made a face. “How do ghosts have sex?”

  Raven laughed, and Dominic’s heart nearly stopped. He looked over at Reece, and the other man’s face had gone nearly white. Evidently her laugh packed more of a punch on Reece. The poor guy wasn’t immune to her, from the way he’d blanched.

  “Not ghosts, though they do have sex in some books. I write about werewolves and werecats.”

  Dominic recovered first. “You’re kidding.”

  Reece cleared his throat. “Animal sex? That’s just sick.”

  “No, they have sex as humans. They can change into their animal, though, and that’s what makes it paranormal.”

  Reece pushed up and sat cross legged. Dominic could see that he was fighting something inside of him. He’d obviously felt the pull toward her as well. Well, fuck. They were both going to end up falling for the same woman.

  “How many books do you have out?” Dominic asked.

  “About twenty-five.”

  “That’s a lot of books. Must take a lot of time.”

  “I usually write about six hours a day. It depends on if I’m on deadline for something or if I’m thinking about the next book.”

  Reece nodded. “I guess we better talk with Jugs about it. You’re part of the gang, so you have to fit in. She’s going to want you to help out around the place and pull your share of the weight. You know how gangs work. Nothing is different from Chaz’s I would think. We take care of you, and you take care of us.”

  “Right. I don’t mind helping out around the house. I’m a pretty good cook.” She sighed. “I know the rules. Anyone off limits? I don’t want to step on toes.”

  “Everyone is off limits,” Reece said in a growl.

  “Huh?”

  “You don’t fuck anyone but us. You can set the pace, but everyone else is off limits.”

  “Are you serious?” She frowned and glanced over at Dominic.

  Dominic smiled and nodded. He was quite happy that Reece had taken the initiative to take her off the market. Now to convince her they were good guys. She didn’t look too thrilled with being their woman. Most anyone would have jumped at the chance to be claimed by either one of them.