Page 134 of Misrule
Those blue eyes gave Johnnie a slow perusal. “You’re a biker?” she asked into the silence, and Knox had to give her credit for her effort to draw Johnnie out.
“I am,” Johnnie admitted with pride. “Vice president of my club.”
“That’s so interesting. I’ve always wanted to ride with someone on a motorcycle. I couldn’t convince my ex-husband to purchase one. He loved base jumping, but said bikes were too dangerous.” She rolled her eyes. “Go figure.”
Silence.
“Johnnie, er, maybe, one day you can take Emily for a spin,” Cam suggested, investing himself into Outlaw’s scheme with that idea.
Johnnie hesitated again.
Emily smiled and opened her designer handbag.
Knox noted her manicured nails, a far cry from the first time they’d met. She’d heeded Outlaw’s words and made herself more desirable to Johnnie from head to toe.
She held a business card out to Johnnie. “If you ever decide to invite me for a ride, give me a call.”
At first, Knox thought Johnnie wouldn’t take the card, but then he looked at Emily’s face again, a sense of wonder crossing his features. He grabbed the card from her as if he’d change his mind and stuffed it into the pocket of his cut.
Spying the clock on the wall, she frowned. “Goodness, is that the time?”
“Yes,” Knox responded. “It’s 11:20.”
“I’m so sorry,” she cooed, offering Knox a hesitant smile. “Can we reschedule? I really have to get going.”
Sudden suspicion dropped into Johnnie’s face. “I thought your schedule was free?”
“Wanting my itinerary so soon?” she asked with amusing sass.
Johnnie narrowed his eyes. “This doesn’t make any fucking sense,” he said in a tone that suggested he spoke more to himself than to any of them. He studied Emily again. “Why are you here?” he asked, doubt and desperation framing the words. “You look like…this can’t be a coincidence. Christopher just happens to send me to drop something off to Knox and you’re here.”
“Christopher?” Emily asked in confusion.
“Did he hire you because you look like her?”
“Like who?” Emily responded, blinking.
Knox knew the words didn’t muddle her in the least. The second time they’d met to set this up, she’d told him all about how Outlaw compared her to his wife.
“Megan,” Johnnie bit out.
“Look, bud, I don’t know who the hell these people are,” she said with just enough outrage to be believable. “Maybe, you shouldn’t take me for a ride. You sound like a lunatic.”
Johnnie drew in a deep breath again. “Did Kendall hire you?”
Emily rolled her eyes. “Who isthat?”
“My wife,” Johnnie growled. “The woman who thinks I should sleep with Megan to get her out of my system.”
“Golly, gee,” Emily spat. “First you rant about a Megan and Christopher, now you’re spouting off about a Candy.”
“Kendall,” Johnnie corrected. “Her name’s Kendall.”
“In answer to your question—no, your wife didn’t hire me.” She smiled at Cam.
“It was nice meeting you.” She threw Johnnie a dirty look, nodded at Knox, then stormed out of the office.
“Emily’s almost a carbon copy of Megan Caldwell.” Knox decided to jumpstart the conversation, since Johnnie made no move to speak.
