Chapter Six: Rock And A Hard Place
Mia
Sleep was evading me. I tossed and turned so violently between my sheets that I annoyed myself. The stickiness of the heat didn’t make it any better. I bit the bullet and got up, padding softly to the kitchen, grabbing a cool drink from the fridge.
I sighed heavily and I placed a hand on the kitchen bench.
What had I done? What was I thinking, taking dirty money from Devil Riders?
I swept my hair up off my neck as I sipped. I crept back to bed and heard my phone beeping in the corner.
Please tell me it's not that creep Doc again.
I looked down at my cell phone on the bedside table. Normally, I turned my phone on silent after seven, but for some reason I decided to keep it on tonight.
I clicked on the bedside light and saw it was from Numbers.
Hi Mia. I know it's late. You might not see this till morning. Can we meet? I have a proposal for you.
The message brought a smile to my face. A proposal? Butterflies fluttered in my stomach at the text. I didn’t want to reply. I had no intention to let him think he could contact me in the middle of the night. I didn’t want a booty call set-up. For some reason the message soothed me though. Then I fell asleep without all the tossing and turning.
The next morning, the light from the sun filtering through my window woke me up, not to mention the rudeness of the heat. I ran through my normal morning routine and decided to be professional and call Numbers, not text back. “Hi, Numbers, Mia here. How are you?” I asked.
“Mia. Mia. Mia. I’m good, it’s a great day in Holbeck and the heat is already on our backs.”
I could hear him grinning through the phone. “Ugh. I know, that’s why I’m sluggish right now,” I admitted. His phone call was pepping me up, though.
“I feel you. I take it you got my text?” He seemed eager to get the ball rolling on whatever this was.
I wondered in the back of my mind what was going on. Alarm bells were ringing in my head. I had two rival clubs hot on my heels. “Yes, I did. When would you like to meet?”
“Do you have any free time today?” he asked.
This made me sit up straighter. Something was up.
Remember, Mia. This is just business. Keep your head. He’s no better than Doc.
“Hmm. I have a free slot late in the afternoon. How about three?” I tossed the time and date over to him.
“Three is good for me too. Comfortable to meet at Wheelz? I’ll text you the address,” he asked.
“Yes, please send through the address,” I said in a frosty tone.
“See you then, Mia.”
I hung up the phone confused about my feelings. Every time I spoke to him I got light-headed. I’d been doing my best to keep my distance, but he kept drawing me in.
The rest of the day passed quickly and when I looked at the time on my PC, it read 2:30. I rubbed my eyes as I made the slow move to shut down my computer and get ready to go meet Numbers. I re-did my makeup, to freshen up. I made sure to add another spritz of perfume as well. I decided it would be a good idea to walk, so I could stretch out my legs. I’d been sitting at the computer all day and eating a few too many chocolate bars of late. If you looked at me you couldn’t tell. Thankfully, I’d inherited the slim physiques of both my mother and father, who were both lean.
I felt a little flustered from the heat when I got there, but I felt better for it. As soon as I walked in, I felt at ease. I remembered the feelings I experienced when I stepped foot on Devil Riders turf. The men came across as predatory. I’d wanted to run and leave as soon as I’d walked in. To make matters worse, Rip left me wide open and wouldn’t stand up for me when the leery comments came.
Numbers, with his big dimpled smile, was the first person I saw. “Hey, hey! She made it. Nice to see you again, Mia.” He reached for me and placed both hands on my biceps, kissing my cheek.
His masculine scent, a wicked combination of soap and spice. The imprinted heat of his kiss on my cheek made me flush as a twinge swept low in my belly. “I’m here.” I looked at him as I put my arms over my chest in a guarded way. “What’s next?” I flashed him a tiny smile. Couldn’t help it. He looked good in jeans and a t-shirt. He wasn’t a fancy guy, but his easygoing ways made him appealing to me.
“How about a cold drink and we can step through to the meeting room?” He ushered me behind the bar to a meeting room upstairs.
Inside was a whiteboard, a fridge, and a large table which I sat down at. I took in the space. It smelled like beer. Next to my seat was a cream folder. I was now intrigued about what was inside it.