Page 3 of Rebel

She didn’t know it was me, couldn’t because I’d given her my first name rather than my club name when I met her, but she’d felt that connection. That hitch in her voice and the way it had gone low and smoky told me as much, and honestly that shit freaked me the fuck out and I ended the call as fast as I could.

I ended the call, but I listened to the full broadcast, desperate to hear more of her voice, to learn more about her. Nikki didn’t give out many details about her life, but she’d given me something more important, a legitimate reason to track her down and see her.

Again.

“Get your thumb outta your ass Rebel. We need to get going.” Maverick snapped his fingers in front of my face, smirking when I blinked away the fog and glared at him. “Thank fuck I’m on your side or you’d be dead right now.”

“Asshole,” I mumbled and pushed off my bike, turning back to the clubhouse where T-bone, Pike, and a couple other prospects finished loading up the vans so we could all head to the desert. “Need some help?”

“Nah,” Pike flashed a big boyish grin. “This is it and we’re ready to hit the road.”

“Good. I need some fucking coffee.” It was early in the morning, and we had a lot of miles to cover before we could set up our booth at the festival. Then I would seek out Nikki and see what she had to say for herself.

Not that I expected anything. Not really. But dammit, we’d had a good day together. No, fuck that, it was agreatday. We met at the festival, laughed and talked about our love of rock music and the open road. We shared a few beers and later, a bed.Nikki was the first woman who’d ever really made me want more than one night or a few nights. Months after our night together, I still jumped every fucking time the phone rang, hoping that it was her, but it never was.

She never called.

At first, I was angry, pissed off that she’d blown me off without a word. And then I questioned myself and my memories as I considered that maybe I’d imagined our connection. That, maybe, she hadn’t felt it as keenly. After the anger faded, the hurt settled in deep. I wasn’t used to women ghosting on me, I was usually the asshole in those situations. But the hurt lingered longer than I expected so I’d thrown myself headfirst into my MC, the businesses, and looking for ways to help us stack our cash.

There were women, of course there were, but I never let them stick around for more than a night. I wouldn’t make that mistake again.

Except here I am, at the same festival where I met her all those years ago, trying to track her down.

“Something must be wrong with my fucking head.”

“Of course there is,” Hawk joked and smacked me on the back. “But we all promised not to say anything about it anymore.” He laughed and leaned against the booth beside me, both of us staring into the packed festival grounds. “What’s up?”

“Nothing.” I knew what he was asking, and I felt the weight of his stare, but I refused to budge.

“Bullshit. You’ve been distant and quiet for the past few days. You didn’t even give Hollywood any shit when you caught him and Winter making out in the Demon Head Guns office.”

I rolled my eyes, but my lips twitched since I haven’t kept my feelings on all the new women around the clubhouse a secret. “Nothing I can do about it.” Truth was I’d been too distracted thinking about Nikki to give them any shit. “I’ll be sure to fuck with him when we get back.”

“You seriously gonna keep whatever’s bothering you to yourself?”

“Nothing to keep secret, ‘cause nothing is bothering me.” Nothing except the gorgeous blonde on stage welcoming the huge crowd to the festival. She looked even better than I remembered, and my fingers itched to feel that hair in my grasp again, the soft skin just below her belly button, the way her pussy gripped me like a glove. “I’m gonna wander,” I muttered and walked off, Hawk’s laughter echoed after me until it was swallowed up by the other vendors, the roar of motorcycles and classic cars, music, and laughter.

I looked up again and kept my gaze on Nikki, like she was my North Star, pulling me forward. But my path was interrupted by a tiny tornado that slammed against my legs. “Sowwy mister.” The little girl’s words came out through heartbreaking sniffles.

I crouched down, so we were eye to eye. Her green eyes were big and watery, her pink cheeks stained with streaks of her tears. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

She looked up at me, warily at first, before she looked left and then right, not seeing whoever she was looking for, the little girl sighed, deciding I was her best bet. “I can’t find my Mia.”

Mia must be her mom. “Okay, where did you last see your Mia?”

“Don’t. Know.” She sniffled again, trying like hell not to cry. “She said to wait, and I did, a long time and she didn’t come back.” She wiped her tears. “I got scared.”

“Of course you did.” I rubbed her back and tried to soothe her in the manner I’d seen my club brothers do to their kids. In addition to more women in the clubhouse, there were also plenty of kids ranging from fourth graders to newborn babies. It was turning into a goddamn daycare center at times. It seemed to work, and her sobbing slowed. “It’s okay to be scared. What’s your name?”

She leans in close and whispers, “Olivia.”

“Hey Olivia. I’m Rebel.”

She giggled through her tears. “That’s a funny name.” Her green eyes were familiar, but I chalked that up to the fact that most little kids looked the same to me. But the way she put her trust in me, placing her tiny hand in mine as if she knew me, left me unsettled in a way I couldn’t explain.

“Is it?”

She nodded and laughed again. “Yep.”

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