Free Biker's Secret by Emily Stone Page A

Miriam wondered if it had been an act. It would explain why the weapons smuggling charge for which she'd originally been arrested had mysteriously disappeared. The rest of the Seraphim assumed she'd been dismissed as just another groupie by the ATF, but it wouldn't be that far-fetched if Brad had pulled some strings to keep her out of prison.

    Miriam slapped herself across the face at the thought. At best, it was just wishful thinking to compensate for the fact that she'd once had feelings for Brad. At worst, it meant potential blackmail material to allow the Feds to manipulate her into betraying her fellow Seraphim. Even if it were true, it didn't change the fact that Brad had killed Bear, and used her to do it. As long as she never saw that son of a bitch again, all would be well.

    ***

    As Miriam pulled up and stepped out of the car, the love of her life came running towards her. Emily was a healthy, bubbly three year old without a care in the world. As Miriam embraced her daughter and hoisted her up into the air, all her fears and worries melted away. Emily may have had her father's eyes and nose, but her giggle was her own and never failed to bring a smile to her mother's face.

    As Miriam walked back to the car with her daughter in her arms, she noticed another car on the other side of the road; it was an armored SUV with blacked out windows parked directly opposite the kindergarten, and it looked like the kind of vehicle the Feds used, including the ATF. That possibility made Miriam feel uneasy, very uneasy indeed. Miriam put Emily in the car, fastened her seatbelt, and drove off as quickly as she could; the better to put some distance between herself and that menacing SUV.

    ***

    Miriam and Emily lived in a comfortable, suburban bungalow on the edge of town. Normally Miriam could never have afforded such a nice home on the salary she had, but the property developer had gotten into trouble with the Seraphim a few years ago, and part of his penance had been to sell the house to the girlfriend of their late leader at a rock bottom price. As a result, Miriam and her daughter had a cozy, suburban life together, minus the crippling mortgage debts.

    Emily was worn out, as three year olds often were in the afternoon, so Miriam put her to bed for a nap. Once Emily had dozed off in her room, Miriam stashed her money away in the safe with the rest of her hard-earned cash before taking a shower and changing into something more comfortable. She lay down on the sofa and switched on the TV, but with nothing interesting to watch, she turned it off again and sprawled herself out on the cushions in an effort to relax.

    The warm afternoon sunshine bathing her body through the blinds was immensely soothing, and Miriam found her worries dissolving away. But they wouldn’t disappear completely, and seeing that SUV waiting outside Emily's school continued to bother her. With three of their number in jail, the Speeding Seraphim were in no position to take on more heat from the ATF or anyone else. If it really was a federal agency vehicle, she'd have to tell the gang as soon as possible so they could plan accordingly.

    But what if it were Brad in the vehicle? As much as Miriam hoped she'd never have to run into him again, she couldn't rule it out. Maybe the ATF was planning another operation in the region and wanted to recruit her as an informer against the Seraphim. That would be a guaranteed death sentence if she were found out; not to mention she'd sooner put a bullet in Brad's head than trust him a second time. Would he really have the gall to come see her again after what had happened between them?

    Miriam tried to banish anymore thoughts of Brad from her mind and just drift off to sleep; but the more she tried not to think about Brad, the more he kept popping up in her thoughts. Most intrusive of all were the memories of her night with Brad, the most intense coupling she'd experienced in years. Even though the only good