Page 76 of One Night with the Biker

I’d go there and crash and not even turn on my phone until later. It would mitigate my expectations of my brother calling, when I knew he wouldn’t. I’d hoped showing up at the house would entice him to contact me, but nothing. A nap would help me, then I’d head to the hotel and call Reese on the way there.

“Why are you still here, Ainsley?”

I smiled. “I’ll return bright and early tomorrow.”

“Come back bright and earlyMonday.”

“As much as I appreciate that, I need the money.”

“Trifling man, I swear. Just plain trifling.”

“Reese isn’t trifling. It’s just complicated.”

She snorted. “I’ll advance your pay with a little extra. Pamper yourself for the next few days.”

Hopefully, Reese wouldn’t be opposed to returning to the cabin. Before I left, Tess squeezed me tightly and promised me it would all work out now that she was on the case.

Unsure of Nova’s intentions, I parked my car in the garage. If she wanted to reconcile, I didn’t want to be bothered. If shewanted another round of bullshit, I definitely didn’t want to deal with that.

Breakfast stayed down, but it was lunch that my belly rejected, leaving me hungry, nauseated, and thirsty. I ate a few soda crackers and drank a bottle of water.

The silence of the house spooked me. I’m not sure if it was because Roman didn’t want me there or because Nova had blabbed my secrets. As I leaned against the counter, the clock shaped like a chef complete with hat didn’t comfort me or remind me of how much Roman balked at my themed kitchen ideas. He gave into me, and allowed me to add matching curtains, dish towels, potholders, and rugs. Although he refused my pink kitchen walls, he compromised and allowed pale yellow. I moved out two months later, so I never really got to enjoy my handiwork as a resident.

Once I finished my snack, I started to grab my things and head to the den for a quick nap. Then, I remembered overhearing Roman talking to his friend, Visor, and calling the window in his bedroom a security risk. Visor said he didn’t have time to see to it just then but as soon as Roman returned from the run, he’d get to it.

Roman hadn’t liked that, but he’d had no choice but to agree. I hadn’t seen a problem with it.Then. Now? It left me vulnerable. I wasn’t sure how many people knew about that window, but I did and that was all that mattered.

Digging deep and pulling my last bit of energy up, I remembered Kevin’s MO inHome Alone. I gathered dishes, glasses, my old jack set, and a few other items from kitchen drawers and cabinets, then laid out my booby traps in Roman’s room and outside his door. The noises would awaken me and alert me to an intruder.

It was the best I could do with what I had. Besides, I was on borrowed time in this house, so I had to enjoy my last time in mychildhood home, which I wanted to do in peace. Worrying about intruders wouldn’t relax me, although a part of me couldn’t believe Nova would really ignore our years of friendship and expose me without good reason. I know she’d been angry. Yet, I wanted to believe Boom Boom coerced news of my pregnancy out of her. I was still done with that heifer but I needed to believe my life mattered to her, even a small bit.

Completed with my safeguards, I was too tired to make it up the stairs and to my room, so I grabbed my purse off the kitchen counter, walked to the den and sat it next to my .357. Yawning, I unfolded the blanket I kept on the sofa, stretched out, and fell asleep almost immediately.

A sound awakened me and I bolted upright, blinking to get my bearings.

“Hello, Ainsley.”

“Proctor?” I asked groggily. He was Roman’s friend, another Enforcer who’d helped me care for my brother. “What are you doing in here?”

Missile and Visor stepped next to him. When Proctor pressed his Glock between my eyes, they smiled.

I was chomping at the bit to get on the fucking road. Razor and Warrior seemed to have more questions than normal, annoying me to no end. The minute the meeting ended, I jumped to my feet to head out.

Of course, it wasn’t that fucking easy. Bolt, Knight, Baron, and Marquis kept asking me questions about Louisiana’s call. Razor told me not to go, concerned I was being set up. Bolt agreed.

In the end, I left against Bolt’s wishes. Way to prove my fucking loyalty, but I’d get back to Wichita before our next round of meetings tomorrow evening. Razor would fuck his night away. He definitely didn’t need my protection for that.

Bolt followed me to my bike and tried to talk me out of leaving. I refused to listen and asked him to join me. Thosemotherfuckers shouldn’t have been on our side of town, but if they wanted Ainsley dead, they’d follow her wherever.

If she hadn’t agreed to go to the hotel, I don’t know what I would’ve done. It would’ve been difficult to do my job because I would’ve been so worried about her.

Still, walking away from Bolt when he ordered me to stay until someone could ride with me felt as if I turned my back on a man who’d steadied me through my greatest trauma. I just couldn’t leave Ainsley on her own, even at the risk of Nova setting us up. But that cunt seemed to have a pattern. Blow up, wreak havoc, regret her behavior and apologize.

This was one time I would’ve dialed Roman’s number if I had it. Since I didn’t, I called the clubhouse and sent two prospects to the hotel, giving them her license plate number. Even if they didn’t know her room number, they’d be in the general area since guests parked close to their assigned rooms.

On the outskirts of Wichita, I gassed up and was preparing to jump back on my bike when Bean called me with news I didn’t want to fucking hear. Neither he nor Chi Chi saw Ainsley’s car. I told them to monitor the check-in desk and I’d be there as soon as possible.

When I turned on her street and didn’t notice her car in the driveway, I breathed easier until I reached her house and saw the door stretched open and three motorcycles where her car should’ve been. I stopped across the street, cut the engine, and considered my options.

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