Free Road to Passion by Piper Davenport Page A

Promise.”
    “Am I like your old lady now?”
    He laughed. “Yeah, babe.”
    “Am I being clueless again?” I challenged.
    “No, honey, you’re askin’
questions, there’s a difference.” He climbed out of the car and collected me,
kissing me gently before taking my hand, and leading me through an unmarked
door to the left of what looked like the actual shop.
    A dimly lit hallway led to
another unmarked door into a small foyer with a few easy chairs and a desk with
a television sat in the space. Through another door we entered a large common
room milling with people. The space was filled with sofas, overstuffed chairs, a
pool table, large flat-screen television, several smaller tables that kids
gathered around for board games, and three outdoor picnic tables.
    “Mack,” Kim squealed and threw
her arms around him so hard, he had to let go of my hand to catch her.
    “Hey, babe.”
    Kim released him and then pulled
me in for a hug. “I’m so glad you made it.”
    I smiled and hugged her back. “Me
too. Pauley’s pissed she’s missing the fun, but she also had the choice to work
or not tonight.”
    Kim laughed. “I did too. This is
better, plus I needed time with my horse. He’s missing me.”
    “Oh, is he here?” I joked.
    “Ohmigod, I wish . But he’s
not potty trained, so...”
    I giggled. “Well, if you could
potty train a horse, I think you’d make a hell of a lot more money than working
at the bar.”
    “Yeah, I’d have to agree. Come
and meet everyone.”
    I grabbed Mack’s hand (just in
case he had any thoughts of deserting me) and we followed Kim to the small
group huddled around the pool table. I met Ace and his wife, Cassidy, then Hawk
and Payton. Ace was a tower of a man who looked like his brother, Knight, and
Cassidy was half his size with curly blonde hair a quick smile. I noticed Ace
hovered around his wife, but later found out she’d been shot less than six
months before by a crazed stalker, so it was understandable.
    Hawk was blond and muscular, and
had a kick-ass handlebar moustache. He adored Payton who, with her long,
brunette hair and lithe body, looked more like a movie star than a teacher.
    “You got a minute?” Booker asked
Mack.
    “ Honey, no ,” Dani whined.
“You promised no business.”
    “Won’t take long,” he said.
    Mack released my hand, kissed me
quickly, and followed Booker down a back hallway.
    “I hate it when they do that,”
Dani confessed, albeit in a whisper. “Sometimes club business sucks.”
    I smiled. “It must be important.”
    “Yeah, that’s what I’m afraid
of.” She sighed. “Come on, we’ll grab some wine.”
    “Sounds good.”
    * * *
    Mack followed
Booker into his office and shut the door. “It’s bad?”
    Booker nodded. “Yeah.”
    “Shit.” Mack lowered himself into
a chair and took the file Booker handed him. “They’re cookin’ now?”
    “Looks like it. They’re pushin’
out the Bekhterevs... tryin’ to, anyway.”
    “But fuckin’ meth?” Mack snapped.
    “Nika thinks he’s Walter White.”
    “Nika’s a moron.” Mack shook his
head. “But Katya is not.”
    “You think the sister’s in on
it?”
    “I think she’s fuckin’ runnin’
it.”
    “If she is, she’s invisible.”
    Mack nodded, reading over
Booker’s notes. “Yeah, brother, she’s good at invisible.”
    “She sniffin’ after you again?”
    “Again?” Mack smirked. “She never
stopped.”
    “She know about Darien?”
    “I’ll assume she does.” Mack
sighed. “And talk to a couple of the recruits.”
    “Good call.” Booker shook his
head. “I got Flea on Dani when I’m not around.”
    “She okay with that?”
    “Surprisingly, yeah. After Payton
got taken from school, she gets the severity. Her father and brother are also
gonna help.”
    Dani’s father was police chief
for Vancouver, Washington, and her brother was a detective.
    “Help how?”
    “Just watchin’ out. No club
access.”
    Mack nodded.
    “Ace’s brother’s