Chapter Five: The Rebels
Harper
Dealing with the cops was always a hassle and it was bad for business. They took my statement and the security guard’s. Then they talked to witnesses. My boss, Mr. Boyer, showed up, coming down from his office on the top floor to talk to the police, assuring them that he wanted them to charge the man. He wasn’t going to put up with this kind of thing happening in his hotel.
The ordeal took a long time to clear up, so when it was over I wasn’t exactly surprised to see Bones was gone, but it was still disappointing. I wanted to talk to him again, to explore this connection I kept feeling when he was around. No matter what I told myself about our compatibility, there was something there.
I thought about his reaction to the drug dealer. At first, I’d been grateful for his help and a little turned on by the show of masculinity. I’d never seen anything like it before. But then, he’d gotten so angry. He hadn’t tried to hurt the man, but the threat was clear in the way he man-handled him. It was a little frightening to see the man I had been flirting with, turn into such an intimidating figure so quickly.
Still, I probably would have thanked him for his help if he’d stuck around.
Finally, the police wrapped things up and headed out, allowing business to get back to normal. I authorized a free round of drinks for everyone that had their gambling interrupted by the police questioning. That should keep most of them from leaving.
It didn’t take long for everything to get back to normal.
Relief swept over me when my boss headed back upstairs. I liked the guy, but I hated being micromanaged. Besides, what happened wasn’t my fault and the owner had told me from the beginning that he didn’t want to see any drug use in his casino. I was making sure it didn’t happen.
I sauntered over to the bar, leaning against the end of it, wishing I’d worn smaller heels. These ones were new, a birthday present from last month, and they looked great, but the arch of both feet was killing me.
“Now I know why you didn’t go for Greg,” Brianna, the bartender, said as she saw me standing there and walked over. The very person I had to thank for the time not well spent last night. “Whoever that guy was who tackled the druggie was yummy.”
I rolled my eyes.
She was always checking out guys. I suspected it was a huge part of her desire to bartend. What better way would there be to meet eligible men?
“He’s a friend. Actually, now that I think about it, I want to ask you a couple of questions.”
“Shoot,” Brianna replied without looking up from the shots she was pouring for an order one of the waitresses had just handed over.
“What do you know about the Rebel Saints motorcycle club?”
“Yikes, what kind of question is that?”
“What? What’s wrong with it?”
“It’s just that those clubs can be a little intense, sometimes secretive, but I have heard that Rebel Saints turned over a new leaf recently.”
“You mean they stopped …” I paused, not sure what they’d been doing in the first place.
“Yeah, no more crime,” Brianna confirmed. “No messing with women either. They say that the club is going to clean up the streets.”
“You think it’s true?” I asked, and Brianna shrugged.
“Who knows? It’d be great if it was, but they have a rough past. There’s a reason the word ‘Rebel’ is in the club’s title. They used to run all the drugs in this town. And a prostitution ring. I heard they’d even killed people.”
“That’s terrible. I knew it. I knew those clubs were bad news.”
“Well, maybe. Like I said, the rumor is that they are going legit. What does this have to do with that man you were with anyway?”
“He’s the president of the club,” I told her, hoping I wasn’t breaking some rule by sharing that. If they were as secretive as she said, who knew what they’d get mad about, but maybe I was being paranoid.
“Hell, girl. When you choose a man, you do it right, don’t ya?”
“I didn’t choose him. We’re just friends,” I protested, but it lacked conviction. Hadn’t I just been in the process of accepting his date invitation when I spotted the drug dealer?
“Still, he’s hot and it wouldn’t be a bad thing to be close to the Rebel Saints. That kind of thing can keep a girl safe.”
“I don’t exactly have a lot of enemies, myself.”