Page 5 of Rattler
“Oh.”
I watched the expressions chase each other across her face.Hope.Fear.Uncertainty.When she spoke, she sounded unsure.“So you can help me?”
“Maybe.Depends on what kind of help you need.”Although I had a pretty good idea.“How about we go back inside, get some coffees, and you can tell me your story.”
“Not sure that’s a good idea.How do I know you didn’t just find that jacket somewhere?I don’t even know your name.”
The thought of just finding a cut somewhere causes me to snort.“The only way anyone gets a biker’s colors off him is if they kill him first.I’m very much alive.”I pointed to the name patch.“Rattler.My name’s Rattler.Says so right here on my cut.”
She didn’t look convinced.“That’s not a name.Jack is a name.”
“Rattler is my road name.It’s what everyone calls me.Only my closest friends know my given name, and we’re not there yet.”
She hesitated for a moment.“Fair enough.Rattler.”
I loved the way my name sounded as it rolled off her tongue.“So how about you?What’s your name?”
She narrowed her eyes, as if deciding whether or not it was a good idea to tell me the truth.I was starting to get the impression she’s spent a lot of time worrying about her own safety.“Lily.And no, that’s not a nickname.I was named after my grandmother, not a fucking flower.”
The woman had a mouth on her.I suspected she cussed in the hopes it made her sound tough.“Nice to meet you, Lily.Shall we go back in and get that coffee now?”
She tilted her head at the backpack.“They won’t let me in with a cat.”
I eyed up the tiny scrap of fur.“Hardly big enough to worry about.Besides, as long as it stays in there, they’ll pretend they don’t see it.I’m here to pick up a couple of sample boxes, and they’re hoping to get a big order from us.We give them a fair bit of business.”
She looked skeptical.“A bunch of ex-SEALs need a big order from a bakery?Like a couple hundred donuts or something?I thought that was a cop thing.”
I grinned.I hadn’t been this intrigued by a woman in a long time.The mixture of toughness, innocence, and paranoia was captivating.“Not sure the cops would be amused by that, and no, I’m not here for a couple hundred donuts.I’m picking up a cupcake sampler.One of the brothers is getting hitched and the old ladies want to decide what kind of cupcakes to serve at the shindig.”
An adorable frown furrowed her brow.“And they sent you to get them?”
I could see her point.I didn’t look much like a delivery boy.I shrugged.“I was the only one not doing something else, so yeah.They sent me.”
She smiled, and it lit up her whole face.“As a tough ex-SEAL and the VP of a motorcycle club, I bet you’re thrilled to be fetching cupcakes.”
I snorted.“Yeah, thrilled.So are we going to go back inside so you can tell me how you ended up in this half-assed town with a little furball in your luggage?”
She tucked the kitten back down into the backpack, wrinkling her nose up at me.“Okay, but the coffee is on you.”
I laughed out loud.For a woman who’d been caught stealing food and then pulled a gun on me she sure had attitude.I wasn’t sure I wanted to take her back to the compound any time soon.Too many single brothers there, and I wanted to get to know her better without the competition.
Chapter Two
Lily
I wasn’t sure what it was about this guy that made me feel I could trust him.He looked anything but safe.He had craggy features with a rugged jawline and massive shoulders straining the seams of his shirt.A faint scar ran down his neck from one ear and disappeared into his shirt.His leather vest with all the patches and symbols on it didn’t exactly scream upright citizen.I wondered why he called it a cut.Maybe I’d ask him, if he stuck around long enough to help me.
Then again, maybe it was all those things that appealed to me.Tim was the polar opposite of this guy.He was a financial advisor to high-wealth clients.Neat and tidy haircut.Three-piece suits over impeccably starched shirts and imported leather shoes polished to a high shine.He’d turned out to be a class-A Asshole, so maybe this guy was a saint.
More importantly, Jack had told me I could trust anyone in Riptide.He’d never tell me something that could get me hurt.
I followed Rattler back into the bakery and slid into the booth in the back corner, placing my backpack down beside me.I lifted the flap to check on Scrapper.The kitten had gobbled down a good portion of the muffin I’d liberated.Poor thing was probably starving.I smothered a smile at the sight of him curled up contentedly on top of the panties I’d stuffed in there in such a hurry.
Rattler went over to the counter and placed an order.Minutes later, he strode toward me carrying a tray with two mugs and a plate containing a carrot muffin and a blueberry scone.Setting it down, he placed one mug in front of me along with some packets of sugar and a handful of creamers.He set the other mug down on his side of the table and placed the plate of pastries in the middle.“Couldn’t decide what looked best so I got both.”He slid into the booth across from me.“Also forgot to ask what you took in your coffee, so you get to fix it yourself.”
I eyed up the plate of goodies.“Okay if I take the blueberry scone?”
He nodded.“Take whatever you want.”
